Cycle: Forget and Forgive
by mAoRa01
Summary: Ed and Al encountered a strange girl on their way. She was unknown to them, but it seemed that she knew them very well. Would the Elric Brothers find a friend or they would even regret the time they took a glimpse on her?
1. Start of the Cycle

CHAPTER 1: Start of the Cycle

* * *

Ed and Al were walking down away from the building of the military. They got a mission from a certain isolated area where some mysteries happened and they were ordered to figure it out.

"Tch… another time-wasting stuff eh? I think an alchemist is hanging out in that city… another uninteresting task," Ed was looking up to his brother.

"Don't you want it? It will be easy for us to finish, without bruises or any major damage on us, unlike the previous missions that we did," Al replied.

"Oh? I think you should refresh a little bit of your mind Al. Remember all our works are safe you know, a piece of cake. That's why I hate Mustang, presenting us monotonous missions, and then we'll give him nice report in back which is really unfair. Then the dangerous part is lurking ahead. As we go along our duty, those homunculi are always with us. They don't choose their time when they will come out… I mean it's every time that they want to attack us. Before, during and even after our assignment., and we'll go back to central and some of our parts are missing, then Winry will be poking her favorite wrench on my skull and that old woman will be showering nasty words at me," Ed put his hands at the back of his head.

Al stopped on walking and so Ed too. He was about to ask his little brother why he did that when his eyes caught a glance of a girl in front of them. The girl was anonymous to the two. She was wearing a ruffled dress with a ruffled umbrella too. Her faced had a netted black veil, and inside of that piece of cloth, Ed could see that she was smiling. In a blink of an eye, the girl attacked Ed.

"Hey!!!" Ed's voice was quivering because he was protecting himself from the closed umbrella of the unknown girl.

The girl took a leap backward and ready to strike again.

"Who are you?!" Ed was shouting angrily at the girl. The teenager didn't respond. She opened her sunshade and pointed metals were flying out from it.

"You can't scare us by throwing things like that miss," Ed grinned and he transformed the road to a shield. To his shock, the metals were passing through the block he made.

"Brother! Needles and scalpels infiltrated the wall!" Al was astounded too.

"Run Al!"

"How can she do that? Is she another homunculus?" Al asked as they sprinted away from the girl.

"I don't know! She's wearing too much I can't find any symbol or anything at all!"

The girl left her spot and followed them. She was still attacking them on their back, until the brothers were cornered in a close barricade. Ed would destroy the barrier but his rival appeared amazingly next to him, holding his arm.

"Going somewhere?"

His eyes gone big and he tried to shake off her hand away from his arm.

"Miss I don't know who you are but let my arm out of your grip or I'll do something that you might be sorry of."

"Oh really, then what is that?" the girl said mockingly.

"You are really trying to piss me off huh?" his hand clapped and there was light come out from it.

"Brother…" Al was not looking on them but he was intimidated to see Scar walking closer to them. While Ed and the unrecognized lady were arguing to each other, Al was stepping back slowly and accidentally bumped at Ed's back. Meanwhile, Ed's arm turned to the standard sharp weapon and aimed it to the wall where the foe was laying her back.

"Going for a kill?" the girl questioned calmly.

"You be---!" there went the collision of Al, and Ed's lips found the girl's lips. They were stupefied without the awareness of Al who was frightened of the presence of another enemy.

"Brother! Scar is here!" finally he turned back to see the intimate scene. He didn't know how to act. Mixed emotions were written all over his face.

The kissing persons at last broke away. They were so quiet. Ed regained himself first, and realized that Scar was there, but the girl was left still unconscious.

"_Oh! My mortal enemy just kissed me?! I-I-I won't forgive him! The veil didn't even help me! I can still feel his…_" she cut that thought in her mind. She knocked the wall behind her and it was demolished for an instant with her fist.

"Where the hell is that Edward?!" she growled.

Ed and Al were fighting Scar together. The dark space was now an open field covered by smoke that blinded them.

"Where are you?!" it was Ed. He saw Al dropped down. He thought that Scar was hiding from the thick smoke and attacking them one by one.

"Here I am," and a blue light flashed. Ed blocked it.

The girl, who was Azureth Kruger, saw Al roasted. She went near him and as much as she could, she carried him away from the battlefield.

"What do you feel Al?" she could kill herself for that question. It was too late for her to apprehend that she asked it to an empty armor not to a body of a human.

"I managed to avoid it a little, but maybe it's a hurt if I was damaged by his attack completely," he answered.

"I-I'm sorry…" she apologized. Al stood up, "where are you going?" she continued and rose from the ground.

"…to help my brother. Scar is too way strong for him," and he ran going to Ed.

"Just this very time, I'm going to lend a hand on you Ed…" she buzzed and tagged along them.

* * *

"I didn't know that you are with an attractive lady…" Scar remarked.

"I'm not with him/her!" Ed and Azureth said on chorus.

"Can you get out of here? This is none of your business miss ruffled alien!" Ed became irritated.

"No one ever insulted me like that! But I'll forget what you said. We're on a fight! Focus more on your opponent please!!" she was irritated as well.

"Huh? You're my opponent too if you don't remember!" Ed shouted back.

"Brother! Listen to her, she's right!" Al inserted to their feisty conversation.

Scar caught Ed off guard and so he was his target. In a snap Azureth defended Ed. With her umbrella, she stopped the assault of Scar.

"Will you be a professional alchemist even for a while? You always let the heat in your head dominates you. How can you even save from harm your brother with that attitude?" she said while looking at Scar.

Ed was somewhat enlightened by what she pondered on him, he took a deep breath and posed himself for an attack.

"The military is here!" Al blurted out.

Scar and Azureth looked on the incoming soldiers.

"Need to evaporate," she used her umbrella to escape. Scar razed the road and made his way from there.

Hawkeye rushed to Ed and Al.

"Look at you two troublemakers… and Scar slipped away again," Roy said, "You're just a minute away from my office and you two are going to your death." He continued.

"It's not our fault if that Scar happens to terminate state alchemists," Ed was tapping his clothes to remove the dust. He got his torn coat and beckoned Al for them to go.

"Are you all right? You can rest for a while before going to your quest," Hawkeye told them but they already left.

"Forget about them. They won't listen anyway," Mustang said and commanded her to make a report about the wreckage happened.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Ed asked over.

"Fine here… your arm is not damaged?"

"This?" and he raised his right arm, "of course not, it shouldn't be, there is a mission waiting on us."

Al nodded. "Uhm…about the girl…" he paused.

"She disappeared when Mustang and the gang arrived. I doubt if they even saw her."

* * *

"I should start with the root of all. He's nothing without his other arm. Err… I'm really thinking twice if I should do this, but oh well, I want to be desperate once for a while."

Azureth was walking on rough road going to a particular place. It was night and she planned it for a long time to make it happen… to take a painful visit to Risembool.

"Need to make an entrance up there." She gazed at the window, "she's probably sleeping already… no lights, jackpot!"

She took big hops and arrived easily in Winry's room. She unlocked the half of glass windows and got inside. She turned her head to the single bed but there was no sign of Winry. The door creaked and Winry switch on the light.

"AAAAHHHH!!!!" Winry cried.

* * *

"What did you to her?"

Azureth didn't retort. She glared at the old woman from head to toe and then back to her eyes.

"I don't like people looking at me like that. Especially a stranger one," Pinako adjusted her glasses. She walked near Winry and removed the laces tied up on her. She noticed how her fingers were tortured. Even there were no scratches. Scrutinizing it, the color was pale as if it had frostbite which was subjected to amputation.

"I have to go."

"Why leaving already? You're afraid of me? If you leave me here, I can call people to capture you," she started to light her pipe.

"It's just that I can't beat up a helpless person, especially an old one… no other than that."

* * *

"See Al what I'm talking about? The task is simple but those homunculi make it action-packed for us. After giving this trash to Mustang we should depart again to fix this."

* * *

"Carelessness again?" Mustang greeted on them sarcastically.

"Don't ruin my day with your insults. We have to go," and he turned back, he opened the door. Al was standing on the doorway.

"I've got news that might interest you…" Mustang suspended his announcement. He swirled the swivel chair facing the windowpane where he could view the outside from his office.

It caught Ed's attention. "Hmm? What's that suppose to be?" he asked. Al was also there to listen.

"The Rockbell lass, she was attacked. There is no suspect, no one have seen it. She shut her mouth and didn't want to speak… but I know she keeps something."

"What happened to her? Why would someone attack her?" Al was taken aback by it.

"May be you two know the answer?"

There was silence before Ed spoke, "… let's go Al. there's something we need to solve about."

* * *

"I've been waiting to both of you. Why took you so long?" Pinako welcomed them on the stairs.

"Winry… is she all right?" Ed ignored what the old woman said.

She opened the door and let them inside. Ed and Al went upstairs. They saw her sitting on her bed. The dog was on the floor and took a short look on them and went back to its nap. Ed was baffled. He couldn't see anything wrong to Winry.

"Hi Al, Ed," she greeted.

"I learned that someone harmed you. Phew! I thought you were injured or something. I wonder if you used your heavy metal and smashed it to them like you always do whenever my automail has damage." Ed was relieved.

"Winry?" Al could see her eyelids were puffy and red.

The lass took no notice of Al. "Why Ed? Is your arm and leg damaged again?! If… if only I can throw my wrench to you but now… even fixing Al's armor…" she looked to Al.

"Winry?" Al repeated.

"Winry can't use her hands anymore, specifically her fingers," Pinako was appeared suddenly behind them.

"W-What did you just say?" Ed was dumbfounded.

"You heard me right."

The brothers were frozen. They didn't know how to react on it.

"Is there any way that it can be cured?" Al asked even he knew already the answer.

Pinako shook her head, "Doctors in town didn't see anything wrong with her, but there is one who said that it must be the tiny vessels. Complex capillaries were blocked. The blood doesn't flow to all her fingers on both hands. The incredible part is the doctor couldn't see any blockage, as if it is invisible." Pinako explained and blew smoke.

"… but that can't be! Winry is… who the hell he is to do this to Winry!!!" Ed punched the wall. There was a big deep blow on the wall. Al was still standing there quietly.

"She is not a he." Winry murmured

"Then who is she? Don't tell me it's the curly golden haired girl?" Ed guessed.

"You hit it. So you met her already? Did you do something bad… for her to do this?" Pinako took her seat.

"I didn't. I just met her when Al and I were leaving for our mission, just this last duty that we finished," his face was full of questions too.

"He is right. That's our first time to see her. I know that she is somewhat mad on us but not to the extent that she would do this to Winry, after all she helped us from Scar." Al was trying not to be biased.

"Because you trust people easily Al," Ed said truthfully.

"I'm with Al… she was leaving when I arrived in this room. Maybe during the time when she 'did' it to Winry I was on the graveyard. I heard her and came here as fast as I could but I was late. I saw Winry fainted already. She looked to me and said that she couldn't do to me what she did to Winry. I even threatened her to inform it to the authority… but then the damage has been done, even she did not hurt me, my granddaughter still a victim."

"Brother, we should report it to the Central."

"We won't. This is our problem. We'll do it by ourselves."

"There's nothing wrong of having the assistance of the military. She is not an ordinary person. If I'm not mistaken, she's an alchemist too" the old woman said.

"That thought crossed my mind too, but still, this is our problem. We don't need everyone's helping hands," Ed was firm to his decision.

"Ed, Winry was involved too. You may never know that girl may attack others, those are related to you. Just put in your head that the innocent people need help, the victims that she may point her attention soon," Pinako was forcing to change his assessment.

"Brother…"

"Okay, enough of this. If you're right that she s an alchemist then the Central may know something about that, but they will only lend a hand through their intelligence. No treading on each shoe. Information can help us already."

The oldest person on the room stood up. "I expected you to go home since Roy said it and I prepared our dinner. I guess tomorrow will be a busy day…" she went downstairs.

"Winry, we're sorry for causing you trouble. Don't worry I'll make things up to her. I'm just stopping myself to hurt her because she's a girl, but now I don't think that I can treat her again like that," Ed was so furious over the girl.

"Ed… stick to what you thought of. You shouldn't hurt her," Winry was scrubbing her pet's head with her palm.

"I won't let her do things that please her. I have to stop her or else she may do it to others."

"Ed…"

"I'll dump this foodstuffs that I cooked or you'll eat?!" Pinako was calling them down.

"We're coming!" and they all went down.

* * *

"Winry is now sleeping," Al said while going to Pinako who was fixing Ed's arm.

"Ouch!" Ed screamed.

"All right, your turn Al. it will take just few minutes to fix you. You've taken care of yourself, unlike your brother who is reckless as always," she let him to sit.

Ed was stretching his newly built arm. "Al and I will leave early tomorrow. As you've said we need to consult people who might know her and then second meeting with her after it." He was now making small circle sways with his arm.

"Do you think that we can find her easily?" Al asked.

"If we are her real targets then we don't have to look for her, she will be the one who'll make the chase."

"She's dangerous, I can tell. Never let your guards down." She reminded them.

"We'll never forget that," and his hand turned to a deadly weapon.

* * *

My first published anime story ever!!! I hope you like it... and the other chapters soon to come. I'm open to criticisms since this is my first time to write a story.


	2. Tracking Lost Identity

CHAPTER 2: Tracking Lost Identity

They were walking going to the Central. The soldiers were greeting them. Their feet brought them to the workplace of Mustang. They didn't bother to knock, they bulged in, of course Ed was the one who did that, Al just followed him, and they saw Hawkeye beside Mustang who was sitting on his chair.

"Need something?" Roy clasped his hands.

The two approached the table. Ed hammered it by his open hands. He glared to the Brigadier General.

"What's the meaning of that look? And I don't tolerate things that you just did. Not knocking on the door and making noise inside my clean office (then Hayate stopped peeing on the wall of the room).

"I'm not here to follow your boring rules."

"Ed, that's too much, you should pay respect to a higher ranking official." Hawkeye stopped when Roy raised his hand. She didn't bother to argue more.

"What do you want?" Roy gestured for the two to have their seats. Al took his but Ed remained standing.

"We didn't come here for formalities. We need information. Do you know a curly, golden haired girl who likes wearing laces and dresses?" Ed said without a pause.

"I'm afraid that characteristics that you just said are not concrete. Everyone can make their hair blond or curly. Hmm, I think it will fit too to my first lieutenant," Mustang turned to the woman beside him.

"We're serious here…" Ed mumbled obviously controlling his temper.

"Oh? Are we? But like what I said, it is rubbish," he looked at him.

"She was using scalpels and needles as her weapons… doctor equipments for surgical operations," Al said out of nowhere.

"That can't be…" Hawkeye whispered.

Ed's eyebrow rose. "You know something about her?"

Mustang laid his back on the chair and put his hands on the armrest. "The blue eyed girl? She's Azureth Kruger. She's an alchemist. She would also be a state alchemist, and that would be a history because in the contrary, she would be the youngest one. If my memory's correct, she's younger than you by one or two years. Anyway she refused it. She is a medic alchemist something like that for she knows human anatomy very well and other living things. She could manipulate organs. That's her forte and that's the reason why she uses medical tools. Few years ago, the 15th laboratory was bombed and many witnesses said that they saw her making the explosion. That section 15 is one of the very confidential departments whereas I don't know also what's happening there. She became wanted after that incident. Many generals were hunting her. There, she lost for years and based on what you asked to me… I think you saw her somewhere else. So in short, she's here," Mustang concluded.

"You won't dare to take her away from me. I'll take my revenge to her, for Winry's sake." He fled away

"Uhm, I'm apologizing for bugging you here. Thanks for the info," and Al bowed his head and closed the door gently.

"I need to see also Azureth." It was Roy, holding a lace that he found on the wreckage.

* * *

They went again to where they met up Azureth.

"I know you're here!!!" Ed was shouting fumingly all over the place, but he failed.

* * *

A week later, Ed and Al were up to a mission again.

"Hah, another finished business again. One milkshake please, with many bubbles in it." Ed ordered.

"I'm glad that Hanna knew her father, and finally they're together again. I wonder how our father…is"

"Al, he shouldn't be in our topic."

"One fresh milkshake from the best cow in the whole world please!!! Wow! Are you the Full Metal Alchemist?" the girl asked Ed.

"_WAHAHAHA!!! Finally someone recognized me as a state alchemist, whom they always misconstrued as Al_." he murmured at the back of the girl. "Why yes. I'm the great FULL METAL ALCHEMIST. Huh. Huh," he said over confidently and he went like the poses of Armstrong (not forgetting the twinkles).

"… and you're his little brother? Alphonse Elric? Wow! Hi!" she slung herself to Al's cold metal arm, "I'm very happy to see you!" apparently she did not pay attention to Ed.

"Eh? I thought… okay I think Al is really famous too." Ed reasoned out. The girl made a space between them. She threw her coat and hat.

"Hello! Miss me?" she was making herself cute to Al.

"Ah… Azureth?!" Ed was surprised.

"Nice greeting from you Ed, shouting my name. People don't seem to like noises here," she ran outside. Ed went after her.

"Still with your scalpels?!" and he made a huge blow to her.

"And you're still hot tempered tiny Ed!" she was amazed that Ed didn't reply in an annoyed manner, instead he stopped attacking her.

"Azureth, why did you do that to Winry? She's innocent…" he asked in a low voice between his gritted teeth.

"It's your fault. You were blinded by your emotion and you sacrificed too much just to transmute your mother, that's why I hate you. Most of all, you made your own brother a victim…"

"Don't talk as if you know me well! It's an accident!" Ed tried to explain himself.

"I have my ways of knowing people, not through grapevines. I got it from a credible source. How can a father make a mistake to his children?"

"You met our father?" Al said.

"Hohenheim? Yes, actually it was an unintended get-together. He told many things about you two as his kids… and from there, I started to like you Al, and to hate Ed," her face was scrunched up. "… but that's not all. I even know who are your mother, and the people around you."

_You may never know that girl may attack others, those are related to you. _It echoed back to Ed's mentality what the old woman had said.

"This is not a reunion, you need to pay whatever you did to Winry!" he transformed the boulder to many shrapnel and aimed it to her. They started a big fight.

* * *

"Look at those fools. Shall we go Gluttony?"

"Can I eat them?" the big fat homunculus put his hand to his tummy.

* * *

The battle continued. Azureth always dodged the attacks of Edward. Al was just standing from afar and decided that when their past time gone worse, he would serve as the referee. Ed formed the ground to a life-size cannon and pointing it to her. Azureth on the other hand changed her scalpel to a huge one and cut it to half, it blasted.

"I think other players should be added to put spice to this nonsense bout," it was Lust together with Gluttony.

Azureth's eyes wander to the strangers. "_Homunculi,"_ she thought. "and who do you think you are just to pitch in on somebody else's battle? I mean, no matter how crazy what we are doing, you shouldn't interrupt it," Azureth growled.

"Ah? We're sorry. I talked to the wrong person," and Lust headed to Ed and eventually her nails changed sharply.

She and Ed began assaulting each other while the rest were watching them. Gluttony was still on the spot where Lust left her, Azureth was annoyed and Al on the other hand was bothered, he wanted to help his brother but he knew that it would end up as a burden or he would hear 'Al! Run!' his brother's standard line.

"Ugh… then what will I do? She's a stealer witch…" then she turned her head to a homunculus beside her who kept on sucking his thumb…or his entire hand.

"… I think he can eat me alive," she shivered on what she said; "It's on his tongue… that particular symbol… that lady on her chest. Hmm… I wonder if they are bunch out there."

The homunculus looked at her because he noticed that she was examining him.

"Ah?"

From Azureth's brainstorming, the voice of the stranger next to her seemed let her to back in reality.

"Uh huh?" she responded. She saw Gluttony's evil grin plastered on his face. There was even drool coming out from his mouth.

She was stepping back little by little. "Uhm, Al, what's this creature can do?" and she bumped to Al already.

Al took a not-so-hard grip on her body and jumped to higher place.

"He is Gluttony, from his name itself he is a greedy eater of anything. Keep yourself away from him…" Al warned her.

Azureth elevated her view to Al. actually she was bewitching him through the eyes. Al felt it otherwise and saw how pretty she was. As if he would suffer on a third degree melt on his armor.

"Azureth…?" he said slowly.

"You just call my name… it's like music to my ears Al!" and she blushed and held her head with her two hands and swayed it sideways.

"Ah… no… it's not what you think… well' uhm, you bring creeps on me. Please don't do it again, you know treating me like that," he explicated awkwardly.

Her jaw dropped, "Why? Does Alphonse not like me? I'm so sorry…" then she leaped down on land. "WAAAAH!!! I WAS REJECTED BY AL!!! WAAAH" she went there hysterically, and she rolled on the ground. Al was so guilty and neared himself on her. He slipped his hand to hers and lifted her up. He wiped the tears that were about to fall from her cheeks. She went red by that gentle gesture. Suddenly Ed was dumped by Lust few inches from them, there were little pieces of rocks flying on them.

"Wait a minute Al," Azureth let a very sweet smile while excusing herself, then put all her attention to Ed, who was still on pain. She was blazed up, just a pace and she kicked Ed and he had flown again, she resumed her very kind self and faced Al.

"Uhm, where are we again Al?" she said as if nothing happened.

Amazingly, Ed regained himself quickly and moved towards Azureth. He was behind her. He pulled her hair.

"Aww… Argh, you won't quit on disturbing our moment, Ed?!" she snarled at him.

"What moment? I think you're like a serpent and brainwashing my brother's innocent mind!" he positioned himself on the space between Azureth and Al.

"Hmp! Watch it. I declare that in this very day that you keep away from my brother… hmm… for about a million light years diameter starting in his point." Ed said authoritatively.

"I think you're becoming exaggerated and exaggerated every day. Why don't we let Al to decide for himself?" she dared Ed, and so the two who made the bets were looking at Al. If only Al could only read their minds he would definitely explode, just hearing the pleadings of the people in his front.

"Uhm… well I can't make up my mind…" he said shortly.

"Ting! Ting! That means Al wants me too! Yay!" she said happily.

"I thought he should be the one to decide over this stuff? I don't really understand how the girl's mind works. Ed said wearily."

"I'm your arch-nemesis. I'll let you give up on this. Moreover I'm the word 'miserable' in your life. Anyway, even Al's decision is against my will, I'll make it to be changed! I've been desperate once, so I can make it happen again."

"Are you finished? I think you're forgetting somebody here," and Lust emerged out of nowhere. It was evident to her that she was impatient waiting for Ed. Everything returned to normal, a really serious one. The battleground was once again opened, but many participants at this time. The three audiences were now on the game too.

"That's what I like," Lust licked the tip of her nail. Gluttony shrieked.

"Let's begin it now!!!" Ed started it. Azureth was always with Al, she never let herself to be away from him. She would protect Al as much as she could. The status: Lust versus Ed. Gluttony versus Al and Azureth.

Azureth brought her big scalpel again, but because Gluttony was a monster, she couldn't find the right timing to attack. He swallows everything that blocks him. She planned to double up her speed so her opponent would not see her perfectly. At last, she found the back, but Gluttony anticipated it and made a quick dodge. Luckily she managed to wound the delicate part of an arm.

Her eyes gone big, "_I forgot… he is not a human… his anatomy is different…_" because of that her mind went blankly and that was the time Gluttony was waiting for. He opened his mouth widely to ingest her. On an instant Al shielded his own body and so, that was Gluttony had eaten. Al was buried down on the ground, the head and the legs where left, the entire upper extremity was lost. Ed saw what happened, he got furious and he put all his force to Lust. Lust was deeply injured by his attacks. Ed lost his control and he stabbed Lust continuously. Gluttony saw it and left Al and Azureth.

"GET AWAY FROM LUST!" and Gluttony was crushing anything on the way.

"GWARK!!!"

Azureth was still shocked. Accidentally her sight caught the fat homunculus who would attack Ed, who was obviously unaware of it.

"Al… Al…"

Al was not moving or making any sound. Azureth was too afraid to touch Al because she might not like what would happen after it.

"Al! Please wake up! Uhm… Please! I promise I won't have any fight with your brother. We'll be the best of friends Al!" She looked to where Ed was. Gluttony was getting closer to him. Even it was impossible, she made it to think correctly and clearly.

"Al, wait for me. I'll help Ed," she stood up and as fast as she could to reach Ed. She used the scalpel as a bat and smashed it to Gluttony. While the homunculus was fixing itself she ran to Ed, until she arrived to where he was.

She held Ed's both arms and tried to pull him away from Lust. "Ed, Al needs us… that won't help…" she was crying on his back.

Ed looked at her dreadfully, as if he would like to do also to her what he did to Lust. "TELL ME, WHAT YOU JUST SAID A WHILE AGO?! YOU WANT MY BROTHER? YOU'RE DEAD SERIOUS ABOUT HIM?! LOOK WHAT----" Azureth hugged him tightly.

"Forgive me Ed. I'll pay you whatever it takes…" she looked to his face. She could see how tired he was. Even his eyes lost its color. She felt disgrace for herself for causing too much problem. She assisted Ed going to Al, who was still buried on the ground. Meanwhile, Gluttony had already escaped together with the badly injured Lust.

"I'm sorry Ed… I didn't protect Al… I've been sloppy I admit…"

"Leave us now."

"But Ed, it is---"

"IT IS WHAT?" Ed took a deep breath, "you'll leave now. You may go. I'm too tired to talk, so I don't want to repeat it all over again," he collected the parts of Al. Azureth helped picking things up but Ed didn't permit to do it so. Though it was hard for her to leave the brothers, she pushed herself to go away.

* * *

It was night already before he found what he was looking for. He let himself fell on the ground. He rested there and closed his eyes for minutes and opened it again. He could see the twinkling stars scattered on the dark blue sky.

"Al!" Ed was holding the part of where the symbol was written. The soul of Al. that certain piece was far from where the big portion of his armor landed, that was the reason why Al couldn't hear Azureth a moment ago. Ed saw the scratches on it. There were tears flowed on his muddy face. He knew that Al was hurt by the attack of Gluttony. He touched it carefully.

"Brother?"

"Are you okay Al?"

"I think I got a little nick but I don't feel any pain now. I'm definitely good… but I'm worried about you…"

"I'm already fine if you're safe Al… so there's no reason for you to get anxious."

"By the way, where's Azureth? I don't feel her here."

"Don't ask the people who are not here. Most of all, she's our enemy before, till now… next to those destructible homunculi and Scar."

* * *

Second chapter… *yawn* oyasumi.


	3. Undo

CHAPTER 3: Undo

There she was again, standing on the grass. "Now I start to hesitate to do this reconciliation thing… I wasted my money just going here in Risembool," then she examined her pocket and purse, only dust was visible.

She hopped to the window where she previous made her entrance. To her surprise Winry was there.

She composed herself, "Hi Rockbell" she greeted the yellow haired girl.

Winry took a step backwards. She was stunned to see the person who made her to feel as a lab rat.

FLASHBACK

Azureth moved fast. She covered Winry's mouth and tied her to a chair. She took both of her hands and she got a hold of something from her pocket, a small kit. She laid the tools, various scalpels, needles, forceps and the likes. Azureth began an operation. Winry was frozen on her seat. She couldn't budge or shout. Meanwhile, Azureth put the scalpel to one of the fingers of the patient. The metal didn't cut her flesh but it just pierced smoothly without any blood. Winry could feel that something snapped into it.

END OF THE FLASHBACK

"G- Go, a-away from me…" she was stuttering. Only the small lamp lighted their space. Even it was little she could see Azureth's face.

"I came here for settlement… uhm. I don't have any intention of harming you or anything bad," she was trying to calm her.

"So what's the reason why you're here? And how sure you are that I can trust you after all you did to me?"

"…tell me did you trust neither me nor doubt on me when you met me before? Actually I could read your emotion… shock is understatement. What I mean is you didn't have the time to trust or doubt on me. People should make judges when you see him or her, not when they are not around… but oh well you---" she was alerted by a sound. She couldn't find any darker place where she could hide herself. The bed and table were too low for her to fit in. the big wardrobe wouldn't help too because it was located on the corner of the wall, and she had to push it just to make a space to hide and she even had the time to imagine what was inside of it.

The door opened. Al came out from it. "Winry? Why do you always make your room as dull as this?" he asked while searching the switch of the light.

"Al! Don't turn on the light…" Winry said while her hand was raised.

"Winry I won't allow yourself to be dumped here, with that night light. I know it's hard what you're facing now, having your hands disabled by 'her', but don't let it you down," he finally pressed the switch and it was on.

"Now this is what wanted for you…" Al somewhat liked to smile for Winry to feel that there was no problem at all. It felt wonderful though. Time passed, they heard Ed calling Al.

That was the sign for Azureth to go down. She removed the scalpel from the ceiling. She had big four scalpels attached to her hands and feet, just perfect to support her weight above there. She landed on the floor without any noise.

"Why you chose for Al not to know that I'm here?" she interrogated curiously.

Winry's face softened a bit. "I don't know… Maybe---" the door suddenly creaked. Al peeked to them. It took seconds before his mind processed the information transmitted by his eyes that Azureth was there.

"…and Winry don't forget you'll have… Have your supper…" he was startled as much as the unwanted visitor had felt. He shut the door behind him and moved towards the golden-haired girl. He was observing her.

"Azureth? Are you for real?" he said, still dazed by her presence.

Her heart pounded and at the same time she had goose bumps. "Al," then she covered her mouth because that was too loud, and then she lowered her voice a little more. She hugged him tight even she couldn't seize the whole body. "I thought… I'm very happy to see you… thank you," and her tears burst. She looked up on him then regained herself.

"I'm happy too. You even cared to visit us, but how come that you make it without passing the front door?" then he noticed the windows were swaying. "I'm afraid my brother is not on the right condition to see you," he said worryingly afterwards.

"Don't worry Al," she fixed her clothes, "I'll be staying here for a short time. I'm here for Winry and not for your brother." She thought the last encounter of the homunculi, she was totally guilty of what happened to the person she was talking to, that she promised that she would make something good in return, that made her to take back what she said, "Okay… he's a reason too, but it's more of Winry. I'm here to give what she lost. I mean what I took from her…"

Winry's eyes and hers met. Then she smiled meaningfully.

"Is it true" her face was lit up.

"Correct, and I'll do it this night."

The door banged suddenly. "Al! Winry! How many times should I call you before you all go down?" Ed was looking to both of them.

"We're just talking something here Ed. Something wrong with it?" Winry answered back.

"Then stop that because it's bad that we let the food's grace to lose," then he left.

The two were relieved when Ed was gone. They looked at each other and made a 'high-five'.

* * *

They were on the dining area of the house. Pinako on the 'head-of-family' seat, on her side was her granddaughter, whom she helped with Winry's food. Al on the other hand was uneasy, and then opposite to both of them was Ed, who was now munching the food, and lastly the dog, eating nearby them.

"I think I gotta go outside," Al rose from his seat. Ed did not permit him, but thanks to Winry and her deadly glare, he let his little brother to do what he wanted.

* * *

Al went to the graveyard. When he was rest assured that no one could see them, he disassembled some of his parts and grabbed Azureth out from his armor.

"Thanks again Al…" she turned back to him. She knelt to the ground and cleaned the tombstone. The moon emitted ample light for her to read the engraved words.

"Trisha Elric… your mother's niche…"

"Yes our mom. She's very affectionate to us, even to Winry. We were cared by her soft hands that tapping me 'til I got to sleep, her hair's nice scent that I could smell whenever I ride on her back, her delicious food that she always prepared for us. Her hugs, her kisses, her voice, her beautiful face… everything. I really miss her." Emotions were flooding on him. Azureth felt sorry for him.

"For your love to your mother, you and Ed tried to revive her right? But you failed. You were too young to think and act like that. The courage that you pulled to make the transmutation possible and even a million times of courage to taste your defeat of finding that you failed on making her alive once again…" she said sadly.

"Yeah. Other than that, we just created another homunculus, but she was eliminated by my brother… but of course I had my regrets, the thoughts that what if she could be our real mother. That she would turn to the mother that we longed for, that there would be a miracle and she would reveal to us that she was the woman that we love very much," Al finally tell on his knees. If he could cry, he would do it. The bitterness that he suffered from, he couldn't feel even the raindrops, its coldness and the things that a human skin could feel.

Azureth put her right hand on her chest and the left to Al's shoulder. She was controlling her emotion that she might cry, that she didn't want for Al to see, because that would add to his' loneliness.

"Al don't feel any regrets on that homunculus. You may copy her physical aspect but not what's inside. Everyone has distinctions, even twins do have differences. It's so impossible that all of us can give birth again to someone who passed out… even you're a great alchemist. I understand why you did that… you were too young to lose your mom and it's normal to behave like that, that you're mourning for the loss, but bear it always in your mind that it shouldn't blind you. Look on what happened to both of you, you lost your body, Ed lost his right arm and left leg. I don't blame you though, anyway it happened already, but that should serve as an example of being impulsive on everything we do, especially if our emotions are involved. What if we become reckless too and we won't just lose a part of our body, but our life as well. Many people remorse to a death of their family too, you're not alone, we're not alone, but if one death can cause you this, you don't have the right to live anymore because you don't go with the law of the life, which is a cycle. Death cannot be prevented, so we need to get over with it, surpass it," she explained thoroughly.

"It's easy for you to say that because you didn't endure the pain and the grief that we've been to," he punched the ground.

"I guess you're right about it… I haven't really experienced it," she whispered that she was the only one who could hear it.

"I'm sorry for babbling nonsense here… but to tell you the truth, this is my weakness," he then stood up.

Azureth was frozen on the spot. She was touched by it, and she felt a huge feeling for him, telling her that thing made her trustworthy enough for him. In Azureth's tribe, not the ancient tribe that people always associated as old uncivilized people, they were noble people. They were one of the most powerful clans on Rhine Valley. They lived on a castle which was settled on the highest peak of the valley. Krugers had their own principles and standards, like they had grown packed with high moral, etiquettes, manners and the likes. They could be compared with a Royal Family, except they were stricter. As they grew older, they were being watched on everything that they did, and if they missed or did wrong on something, there would be someone who would scold them. As noble people, they didn't go outside the house except for important bowls or highly acquainted gatherings where they should meet certain people. Even for finding their spouse was out of the world. Whoever made that rule on their generation and the previous one, he or she should be died now, or Azureth would kill him or her. It went like this, whether it was accident or not, whoever that 'person' they have given their first kiss, even they were disgusted by it, that would be the person who would they marry, but it should be man to a woman and woman to a man. There was a time a lady married to a man (twice her age) and it turned out to be a happy ending. They were blessed of four beautiful, healthy children.

Azureth the youngest among the siblings didn't like that though. She would always go to her grandpa and would be tugging his clothes and then pleading to him to tell stories outside their mansion, the adventures of the old man in the true world as she coined it. She thought that she inherited the spirit of being adventurous to her grandfather. The women unlike the men in their family could wander outside their place even for a long time, and that was the thing she envied to the other men in their family.

"I will die early in this kind of family," her standard line whenever she was bored.

The happy family, excluding her, didn't expect the things happened sooner on their lives… the clearing of their clan. They were attacked by many uniformed people. Gunshots could be heard. Burning down their castle and any brutal that a monster could do to them. She was kept by her grandpa to a secret place under the floor. The safest place in their house and she was even surprised to know that there was such a place like that in their mansion. Her grandpa said that there was a way outside that underground, but she couldn't moved, she was completely out of her mind. She could foretell it already what would happen to the rest of the members of her family after that. She wanted to follow her grandpa but her feet didn't let it happened. She covered her ears by her hands and her tears were running down her cheeks, she was screaming and crouched at the corner. She could hear the dying shouts of her parents. The castle was breaking down and she kept on screaming. She was sobbing while cursing the people who were killing her kin. Suddenly the floor made of wood above her opened. She looked at the person slowly. The person burned the underground and put down again the floor back to its place, as if cremating her down there alive. It was the time for her to make the escape, as much as she could, she crawled to survive. Unfortunately a big burning metal fell on her back, particularly on the left arm, affecting also the portion on the left side of her spine. Her body fell on the ground and she shouted for help. Her eyes were closing when she saw a light coming from a small hole, that must be the door outside, she thought. She wanted to reach it but her body couldn't take the pain she was suffering from.

"Just a little more… if I can't make it there… my corpse will stay here and no one can discover it and make a decent burial for me…" then all blackened.

* * *

"Shall we go then? Winry must be waiting for fingers to come back in action," and he prayed before leaving.

That made her to return on reality. "Uhm, right."

* * *

Winry, Al and Azureth were the few people who were still up late at night. They waited for the others (Ed and Pinako) to sleep, before performing the operation. With her one of a kind scalpel, she put it within her patient's fingers. Winry shut her eyes tightly but against on what she expected, there was no pain at all, even there was no anesthesia.

"You probably wonder why you don't feel anything? That's because it's the way my scalpel used to be. Depending on how calm I am. The first was rough for you though, for I was in a hurry… and I apologize for that."

Hour passed and she fixed her materials. Winry tried to stretch her fingers.

"How come that I can't move my fingers?" she raised her brow. Al was puzzled too.

"It's because the blood hardened. It won't flow easily because it didn't flow for quite a long time. The reason why it is clogged," she got something from her coat. "Here," and she put a small glass bottle on the table. "That's a medicine that I concocted for you. It will remove the clogs to your vessels and you can use your entire hand again. It's in a tablet form. Now that you can't still use your hand to do it, someone should feed you that."

"I'll stay here. I'll let her to drink her medicine," Al volunteered.

Azureth glanced to him, "Okay, stop taking it when you feel that you can move your finger already. I think five days will do, or a week. Those are not ordinary jams. So… I'm done here," she bid goodbye to them. Winry and Al thanked her.

"I did not do anything to her for you to thank me. Anyway I didn't beat up the granny… I forgot she's also a automail mechanic," and she was gone.

* * *

"Haaaah… that was hard… in just a mistake I made two promises… one which I directly stated to Al that if he would live, I would make it up that Ed and I would be friends. The other one, that was out of my guilt, my conscience made it that I should do good deed to Ed, and I just accomplished it through Rockbell. Uhm… how's my life? Starting again from it? Making visit or tours? Nice idea! Anyway I need to take myself away from Ed because as Al said he's too mad at me so I need to lie-low… tch, I don't have enough money to rent a room. Need to find a job to sustain my wants and needs," she walked to the woods and transmuted some trees to become her shelter for that night.

"Did my grandpa do this also when he was making his advents?" she fell finally to a deep sleep.

* * *

The light she thought was not a hole from an exit door, it was actually coming from a flashlight, and all of a sudden she felt that her body was lifted up. She could hear voices but it was not that clear for her to be able to decipher. She didn't know if she was still conscious or hallucinating already.

"Did I die already? I can't feel anything, as if I have taken a dozen of pain killers… but who's carrying me? Uhm, wait! Maybe I am dreaming, then in the power of my own imagination, I command myself that… err… if I'm only dreaming… to open my eyes!" but still she could see the darkness, the darkness whenever someone closes his or her eyes.

"Damn it! I'm not dreaming or imagining things! Oh wait. I can feel that someone's pulling down my eyelid… but how come that I can't still see anything?"

* * *

Find out the past of Azureth to the next chapters… (^_^)


	4. Viewing the other Side

Chapter 4: Viewing the other Side

"I can't go with you. I have to take care of Winry," Al said.

"That's alright, I know we've been through many problems. It's really better that you stay here." Ed was preparing again to go to the Central.

"I am not afraid of those problems… I just need to help Winry here," he went defensive.

"I know, I know," he sighed. "Okay I have to leave now," he continued.

"Take care yourself Ed," it was Winry.

"Bye brother."

Pinako nodded then he closed the door.

* * *

"It seems that I miss Al already," he sat by the window of the train. As usual, he put his elbow on the small ledge of the window and his balled hand, there rested his chin. Though he was particular of the views outside, he couldn't help but to reminisce. Especially that this time his little brother was not around, he would always end up talking to his own self.

"So what's the reason why Mustang called me? Oh… why I'm asking this?! But of course a 'personality-degrading' mission again!" and he rose from his seat with his fist held up high. Out of his reflexes his head looked at the rest of the passengers. He surely attracted the attentions of the people. He was embarrassed of it and decided to get out there. He walked from the grinning people and went to the last trunk of the train where a small-like terrace was.

"I know that Al would have stopped me there," he laughed and held the railing of the mini terrace as he looked at the sceneries that were receding as the train went by.

* * *

"You can trick Ed but not me who owns this house." Pinako adjusted her glasses.

"What do you mean tricked?" Al said.

"That won't work. Now spill it out. What did Azureth do here last night?" she was asking the other girl in the house.

"She went here for reconciliation, but how did you know that she was here?"

"Dinner time… it was a guess that later turned out to be true. She was inside the armor and when Al said that he would go outside, there, it was apparent that he was hiding something or someone. Moreover, you complained when Ed didn't allow him. I didn't bother to call her for I know that Ed would just blow up. When you thought that all were sleeping, I saw light from your room, and as I drew nearer the door, I heard different voices and then I knew that we had visitor last night," Pinako told them.

"Well, you could go inside. Anyway, Ed is the only one who holds grudge at her," Winry reasoned.

"When I heard her behind the door, I went back to my room. I don't go for ruining other's privacy. I know that her plan meant to be like that. It would be a crowd if I joined too."

There was a very quiet moment among them. Pinako moved to Winry and checked her hands.

"Why she's like that?" the older one asked confusedly.

Al thought that he would have the answer to it, "Azureth admitted it to my brother and I that she met our father."

Winry was shocked while Pinako wanted him to go on with the story.

"… then our father told many things about his life, including us. When she learned the failed transmutation, she started to hate my brother…" then he didn't explain it further.

"But how come it was only Ed? She also attacked me, and why it seems that you're not in her checklist? Well, I'm not saying that you should be there but what I'm pertaining to is that you're always with your brother more than I."

He raised his shoulders as his answer, though he somewhat knows the reason why Azureth treats him differently among others, he intended not to tell it otherwise.

Pinako made the reply, "You can fix automails. Without it Ed would be useless for her… anyway she failed later, though I was there she didn't hesitate not to beat me."

"It might be… after all I have no hard feelings to her," then she looked at her closed hands.

* * *

"A day passed again? I think what I have done yesterday was worth it to look back," and she stretched her body. The dawn was not still breaking out. She transformed back her improvised bed to a trunk. She walked and reached the edge of the land. She saw smoke from the burning coal of the train. Her stomach grumbled already. She took a stroll to the woods looking for food.

There were no fruits. She searched to the bushes and found wild berries. She ate it and heard the flowing water. She followed the sound and was amazed of the sanctuary. The animals were free to do what they want, no hunters for them to be threatened of. She pushed herself to the river where the animals were drinking. The deer looked at her and fled away. She was disappointed by it. She wanted to find friends on that creature. She formed a bowl to her hands and drank from it. She closed her eyes to feel the forest, the chirps of the birds, the flowing water, the leaves and the sounds of the animals howling.

"I can live here for the rest of my life… but of course it's only beneficial to me. Animals here should stay as untamed as now, trusting human won't do good anything for them," she set herself out of the paradise.

"Before I forgot, I planned this day as visiting one. Where should I start then?" she set her feet out of the Risembool.

* * *

"Is Elisha around?" Azureth was peeking above the shoulder of the wife of Maes.

"She's still sleeping, what took you here? It's been a long time since you visited here," she opened the door widely for her to come in.

She removed her black leather shoes and the woman let her to borrow the other and the only slipper from the rack. It was bigger to her size, but it was absolutely comfortable at her.

"Feel at home," Mrs. Hughes was about to go somewhere.

"If you're going to prepare food to me… don't bother, I went here just for Elisha," she said rudely.

"Please, I will insist that you eat here," and the woman went to the kitchen.

She sighed and sat to the sofa. It was really a long time that she stepped once again there. Nothing was changed, when her eyes focused on something, a fading portrait of Maes Hughes. There were flowers and two candles close to it. She walked toward it and held the picture. She was not aware that the woman had already gone back.

"Azureth…"

* * *

She lost her grip to the frame but she caught it before it landed on the floor. She put it back again on the small table. The woman was holding a tray with juice and sandwich. Her tummy let out a sound. She could punch her abdomen that time she was thankful that it was not loud for the woman to hear. What she took for her breakfast in the woods didn't prolong her hunger. Mrs. Hughes put it down, they went to their seats.

"How are you?"

Azureth thought that nothing was tainted, maybe in the house, but not to the people living here. The woman opposite to her changed a lot. Her appearance looked her older, there was no spark on her eyes that she had seen before on her and she was worried about it which she felt as an award thing. She leaned to the picture of Hughes. She ignored what the widow was asking on her, instead, she stood up.

"Can I go to Elisha?" she had the urge to get away from her for an inexplicable reason. Mrs. Hughes nodded.

The house was just the typical bungalow. The owner led her to the room. The woman left her there. She twisted the knob and pushed it forward carefully. There was Elisha, sleeping soundly, covered with a blanket. She looked at her little face and her hand touched the kid's forehead. The girl woke up and she was alerted by it. Elisha was unfamiliar who she was, so she tended to keep a space between them.

"I didn't mean to disturb you. I am visiting you Elisha."

The girl lessened the suspiciousness at her. "I don't know who you are," she whispered.

"I'm a friend, and you can make a sister on me. I know your family, and I was away here for about five years and so you weren't able to meet me," she was cautious for every word she was saying. She had a soft spot for kids, after what happened to her family. She didn't experience being a kid after that tragedy, that she grew up matures on a short time.

"You know my father?" the kid sat on the bed.

Azureth was surprised to that question. She shook her head up and down. "Why did you ask it?"

"… I think you're lucky too."

She was mesmerized of what the toddler said. "_Kids can really say nonsense out of their age, but to think it clearly, they're trying to say something sensible out of it. It can't be interpreted as literal one but has deeper meaning… the wisdom of innocent kids," _she thought of

"I think it's too early. Why don't you go back to your sleep?" the child rested again. She was tapping Elisha until she fell asleep. She wanted to cry and to feel sorry for the child of Maes. She would grow up without the guidance of her father.

"_I think you're lucky too…_" it echoed to her mind and she slept also with Elisha.

* * *

It was late in the morning, almost lunch when she got up and to her dismay the kid was not beside her. She fixed herself before going out. As she was approaching the living room, she heard giggles of Elisha, probably playing with her toys. As she drew closer, she saw the mother tickling her daughter. It stopped when they felt her presence.

She bowed her head, "I'm sorry for sleeping here," she was really ashamed of it.

"You don't have to say that. You're part of this family you should be used with it by now," there was sincerity in her voice.

There was warm on her heart. For the past few years she felt again of being home, with that single statement came out from her mouth, treated her that she was belonged to their family. She liked the feeling very much. She did not let her emotion to be seen by the woman she hated. She passed on them and went to the front door.

"You can come back as long as you want, I hope that you make up your shortcomings," the widow followed up.

"I promise… for Elisha," then the wooden door closed.

* * *

"What? There's a disease outbreak here? Damn that Mustang! He really sends me here to kill me… now I'm taking back what I've said before, safe missions? Nah!" Ed had just arrived to the region where an unknown epidemic was spreading.

"Uhm, excuse me…" there was a man behind him. Ed jumped out of his feet. There was this man who was red as ripe tomato.

"W-what happened to your skin?" he was scared by it.

"I don't know. There is no doctor in this place because they are afraid of the disease. It looks that you're the brave one to cure this," the man said while scratching his face. The others in the town emerged and were coming to him.

"Hey! Who says I'm a doctor?" he corrected the man. The townspeople were obviously disappointed, and then turned everybody's back on him. He somewhat gloomed about it too and said that he could help them but on other thing like finding who was behind that or what it is causing them that.

He started doing his assignment. He got information to various people. He was on the top of the tallest infrastructure of the town. He decided to settle everything there, and the main reason was for him not to be affected by the epidemic. He began on analyzing he gathered.

"So it went out like this… the people that I interviewed said that it came from their… first dog, second clothes, third food, fourth hat and many things, but then others would say that it was passed on them by other people, and I'm thinking if what they said are all accurate. I'm just afraid to contradict them face to face because they might transmit the disease to me. So to summarize everything… it was nothing, I wasted my day just like that. How can I draw my conclusions if what they're saying is not matching? To those people who said that it was transferred to them…" then there was an idea crossed his mind, but he was too tired to do it so he took his nap first.

* * *

"Azureth…" she was holding the tray.

"What's the meaning of this?" Azureth was pointing the small altar-like of Maes.

She was puzzled, "you haven't visited Roy?" she asked instead.

"Don't shift to other topic… I'm asking you about this," she said eagerly.

It took seconds before she replied, "My husband is already dead," she couldn't look straight to the teenager's blue eyes.

The guest stiffened to the explosion of that nightmare to her ears. She lost her grip to the picture but immediately held it back to her hand. "What's the cause of his death?" she resumed herself from her shock and became calmed afterwards.

"He was shot during his duty," she was crying.

"I hate you even more… he brought me to this house and resided here for quite long time. I treated him as my true father. I admit that I had been selfish that time. I didn't want that his attention was more focused on you. There I started to hate you. I couldn't take it so I decided to go away. I didn't make a good farewell to my father… and he died… so I guess that if I have not gone here I wouldn't know the truth, it would make me silly that I thought he was still alive," there was bitterness in her voice.

"I understand you, but please don't think that my husband forgot you… he strived to get you back here when we thought that you were lost. It is not true that he loved me more, he treated us equally. I mean he treated me as his wife and you as his daughter, I even do that, but it seemed that you mistook it. During his last breath he voiced out your name. He actua----."

"Stop those lies. I came here for Elisha and not for your confessions," and she stood up.

"Why mama is crying?"

"Hmm? Do I? I'm just happy that another member of our family had just arrived."

"Is it my sister? Azureth?"

"How, why you're calling her as your sister?" though she wanted for her child to recognize Azureth as her sister, she was still surprised to hear it from her daughter.

".. because she told me that," the girl responded

"So that woman thought that I already visited Mustang? He is not worth of my visits, but now I have the reason to drop by to his office," then she took a bite to the sandwich. She smiled about it. The woman put some chow secretly in her pocket while she was sleeping.

* * *

Maora: Keep in touch with the next chapters…


	5. Visiting People in Memories

CHAPTER 5: Visiting People in Memories

The wind blew and the dust whirled on her sight. Nothing had changed the Central that she left and the Central that she was facing now. She disguised herself to a normal ranking officer so she wouldn't be recognized. She actually had beaten up a poor guy just to get the clothes. She was wearing the usual military uniform and a hat. She put many trashes inside the boots to add her height.

"I should have chosen like Ed's tallness…" she buzzed while fixing the cap to fit to her head.

She thought at first that it would be hard to penetrate the establishment but it seemed that the people there weren't alert like always. When the soldiers were coming on her way, she was trying to low down her hat to avoid an eye contact with them. Some people of the Central were greeting her but even she was evading as much as possible their "hi's and hello's" she was returning her response in a not suspicious way.

"_Wrong pick… this guy's seems so famous here…"_

Finally after the obstacles she had been, she made it to the room of her meanest enemy. She didn't knock and opened it hastily.

The two men looked at her. "What are you doing here deputy?" an unknown fat man asked her.

"Ahh… I thought…" her statement was suspended. _"Is there something wrong here?" _her face wrinkled.

The other man the bald one stepped toward her and held her shoulder with a heavy hand.

"Don't you get any manners? Entering this room just like that. Hah, look at you, you're calling yourself as a person of this military?" he was obviously mocking her.

She bowed and apologized, "I'm sorry for interrupting your conversation, I better get out of here," she excused herself to both of them who were wasting their time chatting nonsense things.

"That's not a good attitude," the fat man rose to his seat and picked up papers and handed it to her.

"What am I going to do with this rubbi---, well paper works?" she took a glance on it, only the stupid man's signatures were there in the manuscript.

"It's easy, fill up the things that are blank. I can't write the whole thing. Understand? Here are the supporting reports for you to finish that. Read it carefully and put only the correct information, and if I get complains about my report, I won't scold you but be ready to be kicked out in this place," he instructed her and at the same time, threatening her.

"Uhm… it is supposed to be you who'll do it, that's why that's your position here. Anyway it won't happen if you're doing your real job not gossiping with your friend here," she pointed the bald man with the papers she was holding. Her tone was just casual that make the men enraged.

"You're not in the position to tell us that, you moron! If you don't remember Maulther kid (he was reading her name on her chest, then looked back at her face), I'm here to make orders to my subordinates. You're in that place to follow whatever I command," he pressed her name plate on her chest with his index finger.

She forgot easily that she was in someone's personality, "Ah, yeah… I'm sorry again. Okay, after filling up these term papers, do I have to pass it to you? _Particularly putting it in your mouth?_" she murmured the last sentence.

It lowered a bit the furious of the fat man, "No, don't ever come back here… pass it to Brigadier General Mustang!"

Her excitement leveled up, "What? Mustang? Hey, where can I see him? No wonder why I can't see him here, he's not holding this position already!"

"Are you even working here? Last room to the left upon reaching the fourth floor," he had given her the information she was really looking for.

"Okay sirs, I have to go!"

"Yeah, yeah, get lost! But be sure to accomplish all the work," he was shooing her.

She rushed to the door and made a way to get out of that room. "Now that I get what I'm looking for, there's no need to wander here anymore," then she turned the documents to the dust that she would add outside the Central.

"I didn't know that Maulther is a blond…" it was the bald one.

"Are you crazy? He's a black-haired stupid, but I even noticed that he's, well somewhat pretty…"

The two men were bewildered of those thoughts.

"Nah! He just turned out to be a gay!" they said in chorus.

* * *

"So… that's it. He is still the power hungry man that I knew and his very own dream to climb up to the hierarchy of this crap infantry." She was making her way to the targeted area. Her feet loudly thumped the wooden floor as she approached the room. She couldn't contain her enthusiasm to see the person she hated so much. She paused for a while before touching the knob. As the door opened, out of her reflexes, she made a salute to the people inside.

_"Damn! I'm being reckless again."_

Hawkeye stood up straight and faced her. Mustang turned his chair and looked at her. Azureth's mind was racing, she should compose alibi or her disguise would be unmasked. She slowly put down her right arm and began to speak.

She bowed down, "Good morning." "_Ugh, what am I doing?_"

Hawkeye's head inclined a little, obviously baffled of what was really happening. On the other hand, Mustang remained his composure.

"I'm going to give the papers that the… _f-fat_ man is assigning me to do," her hand was taking a grip on something, then realized that her life line was missing at the time she needed it most. _"DARN IT!!! Where are the papers!!!?"_

"Oh, I just turned it to earth…" she whispered which was unintentional. It went to the ears of the people in the room.

"What are you murmuring there?" Riza walked to her. "Aren't you oriented of the proper behavior?" her face was irritated.

"I-I well…" no words other than that went out of her mouth.

"The report that you're about to say? Do I really have to expect something from you?" Mustang interfered with them.

"Eh--- hehehe… Please accept my apologies general, I forgot that. Let me get the papers, please wait. Ah, gotta go--- uhm to get the report I guess…" she was really talking awkwardly while rubbing her face with her finger. It was not any part of her plan but it seemed that it would make most of her presence in the Central.

"Hmm? Why don't you get it?" Mustang looked at his aide. "I believe that it is from that fat Gunthor."

"Yes sir," Hawkeye left the room.

When he sensed that Hawkeye completely out, he spoke suddenly, "Spill it out." His fire traveled to her hat and burned it all eventually. Her long hair fell on her back and to her cheek.

She was enraged, "Hey!!! What if you burned my beautiful hair! You dim-witted cockroach! I'll gonna show you how to blow up your head!" she ran toward the table and kicked it to him.

"You're always like that," he said, but motionless in his seat and absorbed the impact with his feet. He put his elbow to the arm rest of the chair and situated his chin on the top of his balled fist.

"I thought you forgot me," she brushed her sleek hair.

"You need to talk to me unless you want Hawkeye here."

"So you really send her away."

"What do you want for me to say?"

"Well, that's so generous of you Mustang, but I'll thank you for that, with this."

"Whatever… I don't have much time to deal with you so make it fast."

"Hmm, then don't try to blink your eyes if you don't want to suffer," Azureth said out of the blue.

"What are you talking about? If you want to say something… then shoot it all," he said calmly.

"I'm not a human of words."

The room burst to flame. The door and windows opened suddenly with the impact made by the flame, and the table and his chair burned completely. Mustang stood and confronted her.

"Are you taking your revenge? We can fight this over outside not in here and affecting the innocent people!" he grabbed her neck but she broke away.

She coughed afterward, "I told ya, I'm more of the action, talking is not thrilling, but to tell you the truth I'm surprised, you're having concern to people around here. What this people have that my family didn't have!? You destroyed my relatives by fire and you have to die with it too!"

Mustang laughed. "Water is what kills me---."

"Maybe, but the smoke can bring you to death, remember that!" Azureth disappeared.

Mustang was left alone and coughing hard he was suffocated by the haze. The smoke was blinding him. "Dammit! I need to get out of here!" he ran toward the door and saw Hawkeye bleeding and wasn't sure if she was still breathing. He sat beside the body and removed the flaming wood and he didn't bother to feel the pain he was getting out from it. When his aide was free from the woods that turned to coal already, he hugged her tightly and screamed.

"Why is this happening?! If you want me to be killed then I'm here!" he shouted even he knew nothing would happen.

He hoisted Riza on his back and walked as fast as he could. The debris kept on falling and he ran furthermore and saw his comrades lying on the floor. "I need to get out of here if I want to see her…" he muttered. He continued on walking but he couldn't see the exit way. He turned to the corner but it was a dead end, he was to go round but it was blocked by the fallen wood. He could hear the creak over his head, he looked up and the ceiling was coming down on him. It fell to his shoulder. Mustang with his lieutenant dropped their bodies. Riza rolled until it reached a familiar set of shoes. Azureth came out and stared at him with anger in her eyes.

"You won't leave this place alive." Then she left once again.

Mustang thought of the things that what let that avenger wanted from him. He shouted couple of times for Azureth to show up but it didn't happen.

"Come back here! We're not finished yet! Kill me now! You rotten child!" he stood by his knees but his exhausted body bended however his hand supported his fall.

"_I know I'm going to die this time…"_

He crawled and reached for Hawkeye. An inch before he touched her hand, the wall collapsed and everything stumbled on him. All went black for him.

"Curse it. I know that this establishment is made out of bricks, how come it burned easily?"

* * *

"What a lousy officer! If I knew it earlier he would be lifeless now. If he's fooling around the important reports, he shouldn't be here!" Hawkeye was snarling over nothing as she approached the door. She already turned the knob but heard someone speaking behind that. Unusual she thought. Riza decided to stay outside and waited. She considered that it must be important and her presence wasn't important for them.

"Did you enjoy the short flick?" Azureth asked Mustang. She was sitting in the windowsill of the room, just at the back of the favorite seat of the general.

That time Mustang woke up, cold sweat was running on his cheeks. His heart was beating fast. "Was that a nightmare, and you were able to see it?" Mustang said, trying to cool his nerves.

"I hypnotized you. I said that you shouldn't blink your eyes, the moment you opened again your eyes the show started already," she explained while looking outside.

"You filthy brat!" he spun his chair and tried to catch and cut the neck of Azureth. "Actually you made a glitch to your hallucination. This is not the old building that you know."

"… but I could have killed you while you're sleeping," Azureth jumped out of the window to avoid his attack, "Goodbye for now. Don't worry, that would be the last time I'll do it to you, uncle." And she smiled. Mustang didn't trace any sarcasm in that reaction. As if he was forgiven.

_"From now on, you'll be part of this family, and I don't take no as answer." Hughes tapped her shoulder and welcomed her._

_ "This is my fiancée," Hughes introduced. The lady went to her and embraced her gently._

_ "My best friend," and he guided her to the aggravated man, "you'll call him now as uncle, okay? Beside him is her loyal and loving aide or actually his fiancée too. She'll be your auntie" Riza did the same to her and hugged her then turned to Hughes_

_ "You're telling lies to the kid," she protested._

_ "We'll see… right bro?" he looked at the way of Mustang._

_ "Hmm. You just appointed me as his uncle, that's unreasonable," he ignored what they were conversing about._

_ "That's the least thing we can do to her… or you just want to be her godfather?" Hughes chuckled and went to the new member of the family._

_ "Be a good kid Azureth." And he put his hand to her head. Azureth cried and squeezed his foster father._

_ All of them were touched of what they saw._

"Was it Azureth?" Hawkeye asked.

He nodded. "She's confusing as always."

"Hughes is the only one who can truly read her."

"Right… she's a tamed cat if she's with him, but, kinda funny how things happened between us a while ago."

"Why?"

"I think Hughes was behind me when she bid farewell to me. She even smiled to me, or it was just trick of my eyes?"

"She's thoughtful even sometimes. Why don't you just think the positive sights to her?" she went soft about her general.

"This feeling is strange I say." He commented.

Riza opened her hand as if getting something on him.

"What's that?"

"The bet that we made. You said you wouldn't like her. Now give me the money you promised to give." She neared her hand to his face.

"As far as I remember, it was just between me and Hu---, Hughes. So there's no reason to give it to you." He finally rose to his seat and walked away from his office, leaving Riza puzzled.

"Do you even need this?" he showed the money on his hand. "But as a promise…" he dug the soil and buried the money there.

"I know you won't get this even you're alive because you don't appreciate money. You might prefer me admitting that I'm starting to like our kid. She did really grow up and fiercer than ever." He scrubbed the tombstone and noticed that it was very clean.

"Are you here?"

The descending sound of the footsteps he heard was the only answer he heard.

* * *

mAoRa01 : it's been a long time since i updated this story. BUSY *_*


	6. Truth from Lies

CHAPTER 6: Truth from Lies

The nap turned out to be a long sleep. Ed rose from his slumped position and stood up. He dreamed of many unfathomed stuffs, but he didn't lend much time of considering the trance. As much as possible he just wanted to solve what mattered in the town.

"Hawn~," Ed yawned and stretched widely his arms up. "I better get moving…" his sentence stopped when he became aware of the view on the horizon. A small house he thought. He was curious that he didn't know that there was a nearby town. Even that was never been part of his plan his feet brought him there, right in the porch of the unknown residence. It wasn't really a town as he assumed earlier, the place0 was JUST giant.

"Oh… this is not an undersized house," then he looked up and astounded. "What the--- this is a mansion!" he continued. He traced his path going to the previous town. He walked quite long.

"No wonder that I can still see this from afar," he murmured.

He knocked using a golden bar on the huge door with gargoyles on both sides. He tried it for the third time but there was no response inside. He was about to leave when the door screeched and then opened. He couldn't see anything but only the darkness looming in. He stepped forward and roamed the place when suddenly a luminous thing lighted the space. He paused and gazed the man in white robe, standing in the balcony of the house.

"What are you doing here kid?" the man asked.

"I'm not a kid! For your information I'm a state alchemist. Who are you?!" Ed recognized the man by his appearance eventually. The suspicious girl described it exactly, the man that he was looking for, the responsible for all the miseries happening in the town.

"You should have known that before dropping here. So you're a trespasser I guess, and I don't give special attention to people bugging here even you are an alchemist," the man adjusted his glasses.

"I wouldn't ask that question if I know you from the start!" he argued.

"Stubborn eh? I'm Nicholas Swagger, as you can see I'm wearing white robe, I'm a doctor."

"Really huh? And being a doctor, you're making this epidemic… tell me why in the world you're doing this?! Someone said to me that you are to blame on the epidemic downtown," he turned his hand to a pointed blade.

"Doctors are supposed to be treating the sick people so now, what are you saying again? I didn't know that alchemists can be tricked easily by that tittle-tattle."

"Hiding with that statement?"

The doctor sighed, "Oh, get lost kid," Swagger was shooing Ed.

"You are a liar!" Ed ran through the stairs leading to the veranda and wounded the doctor. Nicholas didn't move from his spot and Ed was puzzled.

"Why not dodging it?" he questioned.

"…to stop you. Anyway I don't really know the reason what are you doing here. Go home now, I'm busy doing my work here," he clutched his arm, the part where the cut was and then he was gone in the shadow.

Ed was astonished; moreover problematic of the things happened just now. Was he wrong bothering the innocent man or not? To clear things out, he followed and explored the mansion to see the doctor and explain everything and to inquire about the epidemic.

"There you are!" Ed was panting.

"Hmmm? I'm expecting you to be early," he looked at his watch. "In fact there's an elevator at the corner of the balcony, I didn't know that you even had the time to wander around the mansion. All right," he laid his back on the wooden chair.

"Shall we end the sarcastic conversation?"

"It's fine with me, anyway, how come that you're here? You want to kill me? Or you just learned to trust me in just a matter of second?" he grinned.

"Is this a test?"

"Quite…"

"What if I say that I'm comfortable with you?"

"Then what's your basis? And what's the difference when you trusted the person who said that I'm the source of the disease happening?"

"Why should I compare it? Huh? I can read to your actions that you're mean but not the evil one," Ed reasoned out.

The man laughed, "That's good. You're right that you don't have to compare everything especially humans, because they can lie. Unlike my experiments they won't fail to give me the truth. I mean they don't have the capacity to think and as for me, you're lucky that being a liar is not in my personality, that I can't play a role of a protagonist," he rose from his seat.

"Conceited… his name even suggests it," Ed whispered.

"Forgive me on what I said a moment ago, that you can be easily tricked by someone. Well you're still a kid after all," then he looked at him quickly. There was no anger written to Ed's face.

He continued, "Did Lyka told you that?"

Ed's face was crumpled, "Kyla who?"

"It's Lyka. Lyka is a girl. Much taller than you---"

"Hey! What did you say? You said that you shouldn't compare a person to another person. Now, why I hear such comparison?" Ed got enraged again. If lately it was about being a kid, this time being tiny (Ed shouts). Okay being small.

"I'm talking about the physical aspects. There's no problem with it," he was by the window looking outside.

"We're wasting time here. We need to find the cure immediately."

"Good, but first you need to catch things up… with my experiments," then he walked to one of his microscopes and beckoned Ed to look at it.

"W-what's that?! That can't be?" There was a specimen on the glass slide. It was moving penetrating a normal cell and damaging it sluggishly, as if like eating the whole cell.

"So you understand it? I've learned that it can destroy a cell completely by 3 to 5 days. The virus is yet unknown, it's a new discovery for me. Uhm, the good thing is that a virus in each cell. The virus doesn't multiply inside a cell so it will really slow the reduction of cell in the body," his both hands were on his back.

"So what did you find as a cure?" he went back on looking on the specimen. He was still terrified by it. He remembered the girl he met. Even she lied on him, Ed wouldn't let her to be eaten by that ailment, "… but why? Is it really hard to find the medicine on it?" he asked demandingly.

Swagger exhaled noisily, "no… actually I haven't got any blood sample recently… maybe 4 days ago. I have to check it regularly, but I can't help on leaving this things hanging here. I'm just hoping that it still not metamorphosed to another stage, if that's the case, it'll be hard to make one, bac to zero something like that"

"So you're saying that you're focused to stage 1 and you need blood sample to monitor if the disease transformed?"

"As simple as that, so I guess you know now what to do."

"I have no choice then, but to get it by myself," there was determination on his voice.

It was like a ghost town. All the houses were closed. No people were visible on the road. He was gloomed by it, but the thought that he should get going.

_I don't go socialize with people… I helped him with his baggage…_

It played back to his mind, "how come that I did not identify such contradicting statements? I've been fooled, but it's not a reason for not saving her."

He knocked on various doors to get what the doctor wanted. Fortunately, the townsmen were cooperative, considering that it could help them. After the easy blood collection, he was shouting couple of times to search for the girl, when a bottle landed on his head.

"Ouch! Who the heck threw that?!" then he looked back to see a drunk man on the window of the topmost of the house.

"Will you seal that wide mouth? Hic… hic, I'm trying to sleep here. Hic… hic…" and the man stumbled down.

"Bastard..."

"Finally I found you."

The girl beamed at him, "Hi. Why you're looking after me?"

"Well… ah, I can help you out with your sickness. I just need a blood sample to you," then he took the syringe out of his coat.

"You must be crazy. You've been hypnotized by that old stupid man!" she ran away.

"LYKA!" he called out of nowhere. It was just a hunch, but it seemed that he was correct. The girl stopped.

"So he made an introduction about me? What did he say? Oh… no let me. All the bad words that he could ever think," then she disappeared.

"Wait!!! Curse it! There's going on between them… I have to know it…" his voice was on descending tone. He was still on search for Lyka. He was not familiar with the place, and to his luck there were so many turns and crossings. He looked at the sky and it was sunset already. He wouldn't spend his night in the town so he got back to the mansion.

"There's a lot of time on finding her… I hope."

"I failed," Ed was pertaining to Lyka.

"I knew it. She tends to be rebellious…"

"What's your relation to her?"

"She's my daughter, adopted one. That's what I overlooked before adopting her. Most orphans, when they're getting older, they are growing wild. I cannot handle her anymore."

"I have a little brother, and our parents left us," he said slowly.

"I'm sorry. I'm also a part to blame why she became like that. A single accident changed everything between us…" he confessed but there was a hesitation.

"Instead of blaming yourself, you're doing the necessary action, that's better than doing nothing."

"Thank you, even a bit you motivated me. Then let's go with this, no time needs to be thrown away."They worked all night. What they did was trial and error.

"Be careful in that one Ed. It's the closest cure," he was pointing out the test tube that he was holding.

"I know, I know…" he was like a nurse assisting the doctor.

"Transfer it to a flask, keep it airtight!" and many warnings followed and Ed was irritated by it. He was scolded many times during that night and almost morning of the next day.

"I don't want to say this but even a bit you helped me. Thanks," he put the blanket to Ed, who was sleeping soundly on the couch.

The following day, the job of finding the cure was still on. They ate all the day until they got what they were looking for--- the cure to all the sickness, excluding the case of Lyka.

"Doc?" Ed called around the mansion.

"What is it Ed?" he was holding a cup of hot milk and handed it to him.

He took a hold of it, "Nothing… are you done with this?" he said pertaining to what he was drinking.

"Yes, I have eaten already a meal. If you're hungry, you can check the pantry."

"Nah… I get lost easily here, as if your place is a labyrinth," he joked (which is actually true).

Nicholas cracked a smile.

Ed went on again, "Tell me, this is your house? Why everything's so dumped?" he put the empty mug on the table.

"I want to learn many things… the reason why I love travelling," Swagger answered.

"Ahh… then why you isolated yourself to others? Why you didn't build your house to the village down there?" he interrogated.

"I want a quiet place when I take rest after my trips… anyway changing the topic, out of many trials and errors, I ended, or should I say we ended up of this cure," he passed the flask to him. It was a colorless liquid.

"I remember the person who endures the severe case of this disease… is it possible that you can create a virus like hers?" he demanded.

"It's better to get the real thing that mutating a virus. Okay, let's say that I make the virus now. Of course it will take me much time to concoct antidote for that. Approximately 1 percent or point something will be the only chance that it will work on her; moreover it can make her life shorter… it's not easy if that's what you think. I have to examine her. You observed that hers is different from others but bear in your mind that it may not be just second, but on its third or fourth stage."

"I understand… but why you're thinking of negative thoughts?"

"I'm just open to possibilities. I know how you wanted to save her. Now then shall we go to the town and inject it to them, 10cc per person."

The doctor was packing the things needed. After it, he grabbed the keys and ready to leave. Ed joined him and hopped to a military-like vehicle.

He started the engine, "We have to setup the medication to the plaza. We don't have to go each person's houses. It will consume much of our time. As we arrive in the town we'll call all the people," then the doctor made a turn to the right. They were jumping on their seats because there were so many lumps along the road. Not too obvious, Ed fastened his seatbelt quietly. He wondered if the doctor was a drag racer and if they could even make it to the town alive or they were dead already because of over speeding.

As they reached the destination, according to what had planned, Ed transmuted the ground to a life sized megaphone and made an announcement.

"MAY I HAVE YOUR FULL ATTENTION!!!?"He said to the closed houses. "I AM WITH A DOCTOR RIGHT NOW AND WE'RE HERE FOR A MEDICAL MISSION, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, THEN FALL IN LINE. THERE'LL GONNA BE TWO BOOTHS HERE IN PLAZA FOR THE TREATMENT THANK YOU." It boomed all over the town. Ed returned to his seat while Swagger was removing the earplug.

Ed put away the things such as syringe, together with numerous needles, antidote, alcohol and cottons. Eventually the families were coming out, and like what Ed had said, they made a very long pair of lines.

Many were injected by the medicine… just the doctor, looking at Ed it went out like this.

Tenth patient of Ed, and it turned out to be a kid, a crying one. It seemed that the boy was afraid of spiky things and didn't want to be included to be injected by it. Ed couldn't handle the situation and couldn't pacify the kid. It went for minutes and Swagger looked at his way, there were lines on his forehead. Ed laughed awkwardly and sweat dropped from his chin.

"Kiddo, it won't hurt for long. Actually in just a snap it will fade away," he conditioned the patient.

"I DON'T WANT TO! PLEASE!" and tears were flooding on his cheeks.

"Eh? You won't grow as a real man if you're afraid of this simple stuff. Come on…" he put alcohol to the cotton. He was trying to search also the kid's parents along the line from his seat but there was no respond to them. He turned to the small boy who was sobbing hard.

"Poor boy… let me do it…" the doctor switched his place to Ed, "I'll get all the children and you take care of the old. Special attention should be implied with the youngsters," he spoke once more.

Ed took the seat of Swagger and the lines changed. It was visible that the line of the adults was shorter than the youth. As he was giving cure to his patients, he couldn't help but to ask them the things they experienced having the epidemic in their place. Some were rude on answering but most were polite on explaining the information he wanted to know.

They were on the way to mansion. The silence between them was thick that Ed felt the tension and had the urge to start a conversation.

"I'm glad that I helped them. They were thanking us and that's very overwhelming. Anyway thanks for trading your place to me. Actually I don't really know what to do having a kid as a patient."

"That's nothing. I didn't know that we could finish the whole thing in just one day. This town's population is lesser than I thought."

"… Many died already. Unfortunately the elders faced their deaths earlier," his sight was on the road. "Lives are wasted."

"Do you believe in the entity they call God?" Swagger altered the subject.

"Why asking that to me?" Ed was a bit relaxed because unlike going in the village, the doctor was driving slowly, just like walking.

"It's bad that someone asks you something and you'll ask too in return," he said.

Ed closed his eyes, "I see… well then I don't, how about you?"

"Same as you. As a person of science, I don't believe in miracles and the things that I don't see."

"I have my own reasons. Not only that I'm entailed with science, but also the miseries happened to my family. I don't put the accusations to 'him'. As a god I don't think that 'he' will let suffer 'his' people to endure all the never ending pain. It's better that I don't believe in 'him' because if I do, I'll just blame him all the way through my hardships." He breathed out.

"… So you believe more in the policy created by our fellow humans than the God's commandments?"

"I don't think that makes a difference though… so why should I pick between that?"

Silence covered them once more as they arrived at the doctor's house.

"End justifies the mean… was it Doctor Swagger?" Ed spoke softly.

* * *

Second part is coming up! ^_^


	7. Discovering Truth from Lies

CHAPTER 7: Discovering Truth from Lies

"I'll be going doc, see you soon," he turned his back and waved his hand.

The man smiled and closed the big doors of his mansion.

Ed traveled contented. The problems are solved and he will go back to report about his mission. The townspeople were relieved that the cure worked on them and they were saying that they could live up again to a normal one. However he still failed to remember about the girl he met in the town.

* * *

Brigadier General's office, Central, Ed was there to pass the report about his assignment. Roy's face was crumpled as ever.

"Did you really do what your assignment was?"

"What do you mean? The epidemic is cleared out."

Mustang threw the newspaper. Ed could see the headline, a picture of a dead body. '**Nicholas Swagger, killed by her own daughter'**

"Now tell me, what you did again?" his brows went on one line.

"I helped him to cure the sickness of the people in the town. What's the matter with it?" he reasoned.

"Nicholas Swagger was not a licensed doctor, so his practice of medicine was illegal. He should be sent to jail but it turned out that he was killed, instead his daughter put behind those cold bars. Ahh… don't mind if I say that the laws there are different. Age doesn't matter when it comes to justice. Jail is the place where you belong after a crime you do, even you're a minor. She is innocent. She's the real victim but because of your fault it happened."

"He saved the town! He tried to save his daughter but she's too hard headed!"

"He really could save his daughter, if he had the will. The epidemic happened when he was away with his child, and when they came back he wanted to solve the disease spread all over the town so he used his adopted child."

"What do you mean by 'used'?"

"He just used her body to his experiments. A guinea pig in short. Injecting her chemicals that a normal body couldn't fight, and after getting the right sample, as much as possible, he would reuse her for another lab experiments. In the recent case, he got rid of her or by dumping her to the people having the same disease," Roy closed his hands.

"That can't be, I know that he won't do that…"

"It happened already, it cannot be changed. He died but the girl remained alive in hell."

"She should be out of the jail, to start new life. I'll go back there," he was about to run when Roy stopped him.

"You're not listening are you? You're getting yourself into trouble. We cannot do anything out of it. She can be classified as a criminal and laws are not meant to be broken or to be amended for a kid who murdered his surrogate father. To find the root of all, it is hatred towards his father and that drove her to kill him. It's wrong but that's her way of revenge," he looked outside, "Anyway the real reason of your mission is to eliminate the doctor, we don't need the girl, you may now leave, and don't dare make a mess with your next mission." He tortured Ed's feelings obviously.

"I'm going back to Risembool." He said and closed the door gently.

* * *

"I need to go to the other department sir," Hawkeye was asking permission to Mustang.

"You may go," he said briefly.

Hawkeye paused, "is there something wrong with you?"

Mustang smiled to cover up his other emotion, "Huh? Is there other meaning of saying 'you may go'?"

"No sir. Well I think I better go." Hawkeye knew that there was something going on with him, but she stopped her curiosity from growing by getting out of there.

* * *

Mustang was left there, bugging by the scenes passed him, particularly the killings of many people for the sake of his missions, and the lives that he burned down. Azureth. The name that kept on coming back into his mind. Yes, maybe it was normal for him to be guilty, because there was really a reason to resort to that. However of all the people that he could remember it was Azureth who was seeking for revenge. He really knew that it would not be a good idea to save her to that misery, the killing of her kin.

"What have you done to me Hughes?" he blurted then he wrapped his hand to his mouth.

He didn't even know if he was forgiven to the things that he had done before. He was too occupied by the power that he lurked over and over in the military, that he forgot what brought him there, the fatal missions, the murdering of people that affected the innocent kids, especially 'her'. He was not really afraid of her, but the recollections that she was bringing to him what bothered him. Before, it was all right for him, because that was a duty for him to make, but now that he realized what it was, it really sucked him.

He felt that he couldn't breathe right in his office so he strolled outside of the four cornered space and met his treated 'friends' for that very time.

"Sir! Good to see you here, why not drink with us!" it was Havoc calling him.

"It's not good that you're drinking here, and the rest of you!"

"… but sir, there won't be any report that will get out of this room about drinking here. Anyway everyone is also doing this… secretly," he said quietly.

"Then give me a shot," he thought that these people were half right.

"Why you're here sir? Burnt out from work?" the man with glasses asked him.

"Yeah, the air in my office became dense, I coudn't breathe…"

"I know what's wrong with you, you're just missing Riza right?" Armstrong appeared behind him. "Hey what's with everybody? Drinking? Give me a bottle and I'll drink it all!" Armstrong said and buffed his muscles again.

"Don't be selfish, they only have a bottle and you'll drink it all up?" Mustang replied.

"Oh! You're all poor then! You! Come to my office and lift the carpet and get my healthy beers there," he swayed to the weak looking man that was with them too. The man who was ordered by Armstrong stood up immediately and went out of the place.

"I didn't know that you even have storage of liquor inside your quarter," Mustang chuckled.

"Well, for emergency purposes like this," he laughed too.

"Anyway I think you're lost here, need something?"

"Actually yes, I went to your office and I didn't find you here, so I chose to get back to my place, but accidentally I saw you here with your comrades and joined you here. Ah, changing the topic, it's a rare thing to me that you drink, do you have a problem with Riza?" he teased again.

Roy thought that the state alchemist beside him was already drunk, teasing her over her lieutenant. "Well, I really hope that she is the one making me like this…"

"That really looks like a serious matter," he became silent.

"You won't ask me if what is that I'm so problematic about?" he laid his back to his chair and looked at the ceiling.

"Well if it's okay with you then yeah, what is it?"

"Do you still remember the young alchemist who is allegedly making the explosion in the special facility?" he asked.

"Medic Alchemist Azureth Kruger? That kid? Yeah, who wouldn't forget her?"

"She visited me, a week ago, she was looking for revenge," he sighed.

"Plotting something against you?" Armstrong straightened his back.

"I dunno… bur what she did really bug me."

"What did she do to you?"

"She messed up my mind, by putting spell into my head and forcing me to reminisce what I buried within myself."

"That's quite bothering for me, somehow I know she won't kill someone."

"Hey, that's a foul."

Armstrong didn't say a word, he noticed Hawkeye rushing to them. Mustang saw it too and the rest was frozen and cleaned up the table to get rid of the liquors. They knew Riza better when it comes to discipline, she could even shoot them on the spot.

She approached the two alchemists and saluted hastily. "Scar is here again. He is wreaking devastation in the front of the establishment."

"Him again? He is not tired of conquering this place huh," Armstrong was twisting his arm as if taking his warm up for a battle.

"We'll take him."

The state alchemists left and the rest were there.

"I saw what you were doing," Riza buzzed to the people behind her.

"A-ah, can you j-just let it this to happen… j-just this day? Anyway we're with the bosses," it was Fuery making the conversation.

She leaned back and his eyes blackened, "Who said that those two will escape from me?"

Then all of a sudden the poor weakling arrived having lots of beer on his hands, "We'll have a long session here," the man said. Havoc just threw a warnig look that he should run but the man didn't get it so the next thing happened…

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Riza's pistol was smoking hot. "It's time of your work and Scar is here! Now scram!"

The circle of friends was crying over the broken bottles that were shot by their unmerciful disciplinarian.

"Is there something wrong?" Al asked his brother.

"I am still thinking of what I told you… did I choose the wrong thing?"

"You are not guilty of it."

"But why? Even I believe that we saved lots of people I can't see the reason why we didn't save Lyka."

"Brother… we don't need to start all over with this again right? We're here to do a mission. That matter belongs to the past," Al said dismissively.

Ed took deep breath. "Still… I'm also a part to blame of what happened to her."

The two were making their way on Central, unaware of what was happening there. As they strolled along the way, Ed saw the spot where they met the girl. Al was on the same thought and they made an eye contact and nodded. They went at the exact space and looked around. The place was renovated easily.

"Let's go Al."

"Where?"

A familiar voice was in the atmosphere. Ed turned and saw her sitting on the porch.

"I'm talking to Al so shut up." He passed on her.

"Azureth, what are you doing here?" Al met her and sat with her.

"Al----."

"You can go wherever you want. Leave Al here," she intervened to his statement.

"Hey! You won't start a fight here again, will you?" Al was a bit alarmed.

"He's the one to blame," she retorted.

"Okay, I'll be going." Ed replied.

"You're brother must be sick. Not knocking me up with his gutsy mouth."

"He's troubled about his last assignment," he answered.

"AL! Don't share that subject to that creepy-crawly pest." He shouted.

"Okay I'm getting back what I said. So ignoring him Al, I'm here because I want to see you."

Ed's ear got big and stopped on walking. He hid himself to a wall near the place where his little brother and his 'friend' were staying.

"Uh… really, what are you doing here?" Al was shocked but recovered with ease.

"So you assumed that I'm lying? Of course I want to see you and nothing else."

"I-I'm sorry…"

"Hey this is a reunion not a reconciliation time. I just want to hear what happened to you since the last time we met. It's been some time right?"

"Yeah… well Winry's looking for you, expecting you to come to Risembool," Al began to be talkative.

"Wow, that's a good thing to hear, so how's her hands now?"

"Both in good condition. She worked with my brother's automail actually."

"Nice, how about the old woman? I'm so amazed with her. She's living her life to the fullest I guess. I mean she's doing what she wants, no regrets. That's my first impression to her." She became vocal with her emotions.

"She's good, and free of problems. Nothing changed, except that Winry and I want your presence there. Will you visit us for some time if you're not busy?" Al spoke casually as if the girl didn't do anything bad against them before.

"Sure, I would love to do that. I've been homeless since that time," she stretched her arms up in the air.

"Why don't you tell me a story about yourself? If you don't mind me asking that…"

"I'm sorry but that's confidential, but don't be anxious too much if I'll gonna hurt you and our family, I won't ever do that again. For the meantime I'm holding a ceasefire to my other enemy," she explained abruptly.

"I'm certain that it's dangerous what your lurking over there. Can't I help with that?"

Azureth's heart warmed when she heard that from Al, "AL! You're making me to fall for you all over and over again…" she laid her side to the armor.

"Eh…" there went the line of Al.

She looked to the armor that she liked the most, "… as for my reaction to what you said… you can't be of assistance to my mission."

"… but maybe I can hear a thing or two about yourself. I'm really clueless of your identity, about your family, your life, like that stuff."

"I didn't know that you're nosy sometimes. Ha-ha-ha…"

"Azureth… you have your choices you can say no if you don't feel like sharing it to me." He placed his hand at the back of his head.

"Uhm, so you're triggering now my conscience? You know how to plead Al. Well, here it goes…" she paused.

"I'm Azureth Kruger and…"

"And?" Al repeated.

"That's all," and she stood up. "You better leave or your brother will worry to you, I better go too on my way."

A loud explosion rang all over the place and the impact reached the location where they were. The walls subsided and she was able to duck. Al covered her and they both saw Ed creeping below the blown mass of cement.

"Hey! What are you two looking at? Lend me a hand here!" Ed yelled to them.

"So this is what you told us that you'll leave us here? Sneaking here and acting as an undercover agent" she said teasingly.

"Yeah, yeah. Now move and removed this fast!"

"Without saying please? I won't," then another blast occurred, she covered her ears suddenly.

"Let me," Al got rid of the wall and helped his brother to stand.

Ed was fixing his clothes, "THANKS AL, and GOODBYE to you MISS ALIEN!" he ran together going to the scene to know what causes the damage around. Al bowed to her as sign of their leaving.

"Who the heck is the root of this misery?" even without a reason she followed the two. "Hah… I'm just a minute away from the Central and now I'm going back again… what a waste." She was thinking twice if she should continue or leave, but she chose the first of the options, one of the decisions that she would regret later on.

* * *

... many ideas are rushing into my head... i hope i can put it all to the succeeding chapters!


	8. Annihilation

Chapter 8: Annihilation

Scar the destroyer of the alchemists was ravaging his favorite place on earth, the fortress of the state alchemists. The soldiers were scattered to shield the establishment and to assist their generals. The frontliners were Armstrong, Mustang, Hawkeye and the rest of the tipsy comrades. Usually the latter people (the group of Havoc) were afraid of Scar but with the help of a little drink, it built up their temporary guts to even face the enemy. It was just bothering for them if how long or short it would take the effect to last.

The brothers, without knowing that it was Scar causing the mayhem, both hurried and indulged in the battlefield. They saw sandbags and the soldiers were ducking to cover themselves and to load their guns. The flame and the muscle man were standing firm there, making sort of a negotiation. Ed and Al couldn't make any step closer to them so they couldn't hear what they were talking about. It seemed that the intruder was determined not to make any good intentions to them and began again on wiping out the place and at the same time attacking the people. Rocks and lumps of soil were flying and the only thing that the brothers could do was to avoid the flown objects. They used the sandbags to get to the soldiers and to have a chat with them why Scar was there, which he already knew the answer.

"That's a stupid action I guess," Ed murmured.

"What action?"

"That I have to ask those humans of what is that moron doing here," he replied. "Al let's go," he took a tap to the armor and bewildered on what he touched. He wasn't still looking because he was so focused on the other personalities around.

"Hey Al, are you with your cats again? Get that out of here before they die," he pulled it and would throw it somewhere else.

"What a heavy ca---!" that was the only the time he noticed what he was holding. The fringe of the dress of Azureth, her legs was exposed up a bit.

Ed felt uncomfortable and stood up unintentionally. He pointed the unexpected and the last person that he would like to see.

"You stinky alien? Why do you keep on following us?" his face hardened.

Azureth rose too, "For your information! Ah… you're right I'm following you, but Al alone! So don't assume that you're included!" they were bickering once more in the right place at the right time.

"If you're there behind me… then where is Al?" he said slowly.

"Right here brother," and Al waved at him, positioned opposite to them.

"So you're trying to ambush me here? Bringing other alchemists?" Scar was pertaining to Ed and Azureth, who stopped their fight upon hearing Scar.

Scar blasted the place where they were staying.

"Down!" Al sheltered them with his armor.

"You're pain in the ass alien! You're always bringing misery to us!" Ed shouted.

It damaged Azureth's eardrums and it hit also the sensitivity part of her. "I'm…" and she was about to cry.

"Your tears will not let me be piteous of you, so quit with it. I'm going to Scar," Ed jumped over the barricade and ran toward the enemy.

"ELRIC!" Mustang called him.

"You can leave me here Al."

"… but."

"Forget about this. Now go wherever you want to go!" she yelled at him.

Against his will, he hurried down to his brother who was now attacking Scar. He never looked back and didn't hesitate to run toward his brother.

"… All blame to you Edward Elric," she bit her lower lip.

"I admit that they are too tough for me to handle that I shouldn't be running now, the opportunity that the state alchemists are here is a great chance… however…" the white- haired intruder thought. While he was moving back and taking time to think of a tactic, he saw the lady he saw before with the Elric Brothers. His mind got an idea.

In the midst of the clash, Azureth stayed behind the sandbags while controlling her temperament. She was imagining things that were very out of the world while mumbling something that she could only hear. She felt suddenly a sound coming near her and took a look of it, her body froze as she noticed Scar grinning at her.

"_What does this freak doing here?"_ she sat back and decided to stand up and confront the trespasser to her privacy.

"So you think you can beat me? Think again scar-face!" she spat to him.

The villain was not affected of what she said and continued to walk near her. "I would rather kill you but for the meantime…"

Scar went at her back quickly and she didn't manage to dodge it. She was now wrapped to his arms and covered her mouth. She struggled to that grip but the man was too strong for her.

"You will live more if you'll stop moving." Scar buzzed to her ear.

She did what he said but not because she really afraid of him but because of the energy that she was wasting resisting the man.

Scar stepped slowly away to the alchemists. "If you want this girl alive then let me make my way out!"

"What went to your head Scar? A while ago you want a fight and now retreating that easily?" Mustang was mocking him.

"I'm trying not to be reckless, I know my limitations and I won't buy your arrogance to me," he was striding back.

Azureth felt that she was floating. She was totally carried by Scar, she thought that the he was right on his decision and she was willing to be used as a scapegoat.

"Tch, tch, sorry for you, but you don't know whom you're using as your escape rope I guess, she too is an alchemist," Mustang ignited his flame and aimed it to Scar.

"What are you doing?" Hawkeye was late to stop her general.

The fire reached the two and Scar lost his grasp to Azureth but out of his reflexes, his hand let out a light and charged it all to the willing victim.

She felt the sting at her back. Her spine broke and she tried to shout but no words came out of it. Her back was bleeding unstoppably, her hands were scratching the soil and blood was scattered around her. Her mind was racing as if it would blast any second. Afterwards she felt numbness all over her body and fainted. She departed and went to a different dimension.

"Now I realized that you're more monster than me. Killing your own comrade, hah! What can I expect from you, killing for you is simple and nothing but a hobby." Scar used the dead body of Azureth to attract everyone's attention and made his flight from the scene.

It was a trick that worked according to Scar's plan. Al sprinted to Azureth and saw nothing a blood on the ground.

"It's impossible that ogre would carry her," Ed said.

"So where is she now?" it was Al.

"Look at what you did!" Riza let a tear fell to her cheek, and she sobbed all the way. Roy calmed her but she flinched and put her gun to her hand and pointed it to Mustang.

"Stop it Hawkeye," Armstrong snatched the pistol and hugged her tightly, he signed Mustang to go to the brothers instead.

"This is weird…" the brigadier general said to the two.

"Weirder than what you did! Are you even thinking when you did that?" Al stood and was about to attack the mischievous person but Ed impeded it.

"Al, we're talking about Azureth here, she couldn't be terminated by any simple attack," the full metal alchemist said while looking at the left trace of blood by Azureth. "She probably made her way out through this." He walked away and talked at the back of Mustang.

"Now can we proceed to the mission that you'll give to us?" he chose to go to the establishment and to wait for them there.

"Edward! How could you say that! Azureth might be in danger! She disappeared with wounds and that's how you would react on that?" Riza scolded him, but Ed continued on walking as if nothing heard. Mustang did the same and followed Ed to his office.

"Ed might be right too. Azureth is a powerful girl. We better think that she's on right condition," Armstrong tried to calm her.

"… but you can't get rid of my worry to her, the blood scattered…" she couldn't go on what she was saying.

"Hey, this should not affect you that much," he shook her shoulder.

Riza sniffed and collect herself. "Yeah, but I have something for 'him'. He shouldn't really have done that! He'll see what I can do to him!" her energy went on again.

Armstrong just shrugged his shoulders. He was about to go after Hawkeye when he saw Al, still standing at the bloody site. He thought that the kid needed an advice for that very time.

"Al?" he called him.

Al couldn't make any reply. He couldn't even move and most of all he wanted to cry but nothing came out. He clenched his fist, and then his body began to quiver.

"I want to believe what my brother said but… I know there's something else about this…"

"Al, all we can do is to wait."

"… but, what if-"

"But what if there's no reason for us to be anxious about her? I mean we don't really know what happened to her so we can't make any conclusions about her disappearance. She's on the wanted list after all, it's just normal for her to be gone after that." he looked up at the sky.

"…"

"See? Now let's go, the heaven seems going to pour some sweat." And then he tapped Al's shoulder.

The sweat turned out to be a storm.

"Hmm? What did you say?"

"We'll have a change of plan, suspending the chase to the brothers."

"It must be important if we need to do that. What's the present arrangement?" Lust looked at Envy.

Dante came out from her room and watched them conversing. She put her hand to her abdomen and began to puke loathsome objects. Envy together with Lust ran and held Dante up. They returned her to the bed and let her to take some rest.

Dante seemed in a bad shape. She was thin and her body was abnormal as ever. It was visible that she was crying for help though she couldn't put it into words. Her hand was clenched in pain and her breathing was abnormal.

"I guess it answered you're question," Envy interrupted.

"Seeking for the medicine?" Lust assumed.

"Well… you're close to the bull's eye…"

Ed and Al went to Risembool to gear up for the next mission. They were now inside the basement to fix the armor and automails. Winry and Pinako were simultaneously repairing the parts when Al opened the topic about Azureth.

"Are you sure she's okay Ed?" Winry reacted hastily.

"I have dealt that matter with everyone, do I have to repeat what I've said to them?" he started to be irritated again.

"Hey, cool down. I'm just asking if she's alright." Winry was not joining Ed's annoyance.

"I'm sorry," Ed replied briefly.

"Let's switch the topic. Hohenheim dropped by, checking on both of you," Pinako said.

"I think it is best if we talk anything else," Ed impeded.

"Our father visited Risembool? How I wish I was here to see him too!" Al said enthusiastically.

"How come I didn't know their father was here?" Winry also ignored Ed.

"He arrived here a night ago, you were asleep then. He's making his visits when most of the people are dead."

"Did he tell you something aside from asking our situation?" Al was really excited about his father and Ed really hated it.

"I'm certain that you're finished with fixing our automails, how about we go now Al?"

"I want to hear more---."

"That's enough Al!" he bellowed.

Al quietly walked outside the room, leaving the three of them. Ed took his coat and was ready to depart and go to their next assignment.

"We're leaving. Perhaps after a week we'll be here again."

"You don't have to shout at Al. He's just missing him. I don't care if you hate your father that much but don't get Al involve to your own grudge!" Winry was angry and felt a pity to Al.

"This is our life. We don't need anyone's opinion."

"So you're saying that you don't need us as a family but only the maker of your arm and leg?" Winry's feelings burst.

"Yeah, maybe he makes my brother happy whenever he makes his appearance in this house, but after that what? Leaving him in despair and will wait again? Al doesn't deserve that, he is our father but he's not responsible enough to look after our needs as his sons. I lived with that treatment and I'm just preventing for Al to experience it," then Ed closed the door slowly.

"What are you doing here?" the unknown voice echoed to the space.

"I don't even know why I'm here."

"Eh? Everyone who goes here needs something. Come on don't be shy," the entity laughed.

"I told you, I don't know the very reason why I'm here so I don't have any favor to ask from you."

"You want to be healed right?"

The next scene was she bent her knees and lied on the floor twitching her body because of severe pain she felt. She looked to her body and saw the wounds and blood all over her body. She was shocked and took a glance to the sitting shadow to her front. She couldn't even make an inch to get near to the black creature talking to her.

"What did you do to me?"

"Oh please! I didn't do anything, that's your fault why you're suffering now. If you want to stay at that condition like that then probably you won't need my help anymore. I can send you back to the place before you sprout here," he turned his back on her.

"Stop! I don't want to die like this, this is so pathetic!" she wanted to crawl but her body was too frail to move.

The black creature tilted and smiled widely. "Well then, let me hear you begging for help, but oh wait, that's not for free. I want to show you my condition…"

"Huh! What was that?" Azureth looked to the place, which was unfamiliar to her.

"So you're awake?" the old woman approached her with a tray on her hands.

_"So it was a dream…"_

The woman, as Azureth described it, was in mid sixties, with a scarf on her head and wearing glasses. Her clothes were of the typical seniors. She could say that the woman is healthy and not having any disease that would make her frail and hard to walk. The face was crinkled a bit and the black hair turned to light gray which is just normal. She looked to the stranger's eyes and she could sense wisdom to it.

The woman continued on speaking, "I saw you outside and brought you here. My, you're injured, as if you went to a blood fest. Anyway, you need to rest some more. Here why don't you eat and let me take the cleansing kit downstairs so I can sanitize your gashes." She stood up leaving Azureth lying on the bed.

"This is a home," she let her eyes to watch the room once more and compared it to her old house. She took a hold of the food that the woman left to her lap. She pushed herself upward slowly for her to sit and indulged into the food. The menu was a bowl of cream soup, soft bread and a glass of hot milk. After finishing the breakfast she fixed it and stood up, then remembered the wound the old lady was talking about.

"I don't feel anything, but I do really have a wound…" she pinched her wound but nothing happened. No sore nor tears came out, she thought that her body was numb already. She heard someone coming and she sat fast to the bed.

The door opened and the old lady with a kid appeared, "I'm sorry, I probably disturbed you."

She shook her head as answer.

"This kid is Andrei, my grandson, and I'm Nerissa. We live here together for a long time. Why don't you greet our guest Andrei?"

The kid became attentive and greeted her nicely. Azureth smiled to him and beckoned him to come near her. Andrei followed and drew closer to her.

"You're a good kid, huh?" and she scratched the toddler's hair. "How old are you?"

The kid gestured number six to his fingers.

"You're pretty young but you're taller than your age. Always help grandma with the chores."

The kid just nodded.

"Well I think we need to disinfect your cuts, it will definitely hurt but it won't take much time, so just endure it for a sec." the old woman warned her.

"I'm not a kid anymore granny," and she stretched her arms to show her injuries. "Won't Andrei mind this disgusting stuff?" she said eventually.

"I don't think so, actually he was the one who saw you outside. You were unconscious then, and it took you couple of days just to be awakened. No offense meant but we both thought that you were dead already."

"Huh? I was asleep for many days?"

"Yes," and the woman wiped gently the cotton with alcohol to the affected part.

"Ow!" Azureth screamed.

"Oh! Sorry!"

"Uhm, sorry too." and she withdrew her arm back.

"I really want to send you to a doctor but I don't have money to do that. The hospital is too far and I don't have any means of transportation here." Nerissa confessed.

"You don't need to do that… I owe you very much for doing this to me. I don't want to be a burden so don't problem that."

"_I have to get out of here immediately… something's wrong about me, and why am I here all of a sudden?_"

Something is really going on with Azureth. _


	9. The Grief Within

Chapter 9: The Grief Within

"If she's dead then who cares, in the first place she should have been dead for a long time with her family!" Mustang thought. He was really fighting over his own self because Hawkeye kept on blaming him to the disappearance of Azureth. His aide was having this silent treatment and he couldn't take it anymore.

"So what do you want for me to do? Ready a troop just to find that kid? Totally a waste of time, she will come here if she needs something that's her nature, can't you wait?" Mustang was pissed off as well.

Of course Riza didn't make any reply. The brigadier general made his way out of the room leaving his quiet lieutenant.

Riza sighed, "It's your all fault…"

The entrance opened and Ed and Al went in.

"Huh? Where's Mustang?" Ed said first.

"Will you knock before going in?" and aimed her gun to him.

Ed raised both his arms, "Hey! Put that down! You might pull the trigger and-"

"Also you, you're pretending as if what happened to Azureth is nothing. I hate you all!" she ran afterward and went away.

"What's going on to the people around here?" Ed blurted.

"I know what's with here. I'm sure it's Azureth."

"What? What's with her that makes this people crazy?"

"I feel the same way they feel for her but still I cannot name it." Al really missed Azureth.

"Al you're worrying too much for her. Why don't you rest of thinking about her and I would advise them to do the same. Can't you trust Azureth just this time that she is still alive and kicking out there?" he scolded his brother.

"Why is it so easy for you to say? Yeah she's your rival but you're friends with her right?"

"Well like what I said I have an expectation to her that she would come here and brawl with me again, and lastly I'm not friends with her."

Al was relieved on what Ed told him. "Okay, I feel a lot better."

"That's good. Now we have to find Mustang, a mission is very useful for now to forget her temporarily."

"Do you think we can make it with this kind of ambiance here? There are so many bad auras here."

"Then we'll do it tomorrow. We don't have a time to kill here, we better go home."

They spent a little time to the Central and didn't bother to look for Mustang about the mission. They proceeded to Risembool. They haven't informed the two women about the loss of Azureth. They remained to be quiet with that matter. They would just let someone to tell them than saying it to them with their own mouth.

"Ed! Al!" Winry greeted them from the window of her room. She went down hurriedly and welcomed them.

"I thought you would have a mission today?" Pinako remarked.

"We thought too but it seemed that they're too occupied about something." Ed said carefully.

"That's good news I guess, you can rest here all day." Winry said at the back of her grandmother.

"Yeah, we can relax," and Ed yawned involuntarily.

"Definitely," Al said briefly.

"Then what are you waiting for the house won't go there to where you are now. Come inside." Pinako turned at them and went to the kitchen and prepared food for them.

"It seems boring here, huh?" Nerissa said that made her jump.

"No that's not it. It's very calm here, no commotion, and no trouble. I'm just savoring this moment because I know the very time that I set my feet out of this place, I'll be there in the chaotic position again." She was sitting on the porch facing the road as if waiting for something.

"You can stay here. If you don't want your life before then you can settle here forever." The woman invited her to stay.

"It's really hard to say no to your offer… but I left an important thing in my past life that I have to finish first. I'll find my contentment at the time that I pursued that mission in my life."

"If that's the case then I cannot stop you. You are like my daughter, she left her son here and went on her way."

"Ah, right, I don't even know Andrei's family. You said you're just two in this house, what about your grandson's family?" she was intrigued that she quitted looking down the road.

"Andrei's mother is Sophia, and his father, I don't know. She said that she would be going somewhere and it took years before she arrived home, and to my surprise she was with Andrei. Without more ado she left again and abandoned her own son. She wrote a letter and stated there that she has a business to deal with," Nerissa's face was saddened.

"… How young was Andrei when his mother did that to him?"

"He was still an infant, it was a good thing that he was unaware of what happened before, but Andrei is such a smart kid, he always asks about his parents but I can't say anything as an answer."

"She's an achiever, that's all I can say," she concluded that also backfired to her.

"I cannot blame her though. She was deprived of the things she really wanted."

"Is Andrei studying?" she shifted the topic.

"Unfortunately no, we're having much trouble of how to get in the town." The old woman reasoned.

"I see… that must be hard."

"But we're getting used to it anyway."

"You know that it's better for Andrei to study, than doing nothing here aside from helping you in the house."

"I can teach him the things that cannot be taught in a school which is important to be able for him to survive." Nerissa's face hardened.

"I'm sorry and I didn't mean to hear that. What I was saying is that it's important for the kid not only to learn but to socialize with other people, for him to have friends," she debated.

"He would only suffer from them, you know how the kids out there discriminate the abandoned ones."

"Grandma! Look! Tammy has food for us!"

"What did Tammy brought this time?" the granny stood up and approached the cat. She raised the cat and rubbed its head that made it purred.

Azureth got on her feet and would greet the cat too. Nerissa snatched the food from the mouth of the feline and went to the kitchen.

"This is Tammy, she always brings food and supplies to us," the kid was smiling while introducing his friend.

Azureth held the cat and examined it. She was puzzled later because the gender of the animal was different on what Andrei said. "Should he be called Tommy? I mean he's a male one," and she gave it to Andrei.

"She is Tammy, that's what she said to me…" Andrei said slowly.

"Huh?"

"I said to him too once, but he insisted that that was the cat told him, so I let him call the cat that way," Nerissa suddenly appeared with a towel on her hands.

"Ah, okay."

"That's his pet and only friend so I let them play, he even talk to the cat. Though it's somewhat stupid to say, the cat can comprehend what he says," the old began to tell stories.

"We cannot find her, where in the world she is gone into?" Lust reported to Envy, who was sitting in the edge of the wooden table.

"The thing is we will not stop looking for her," there was calmness in his voice but it was the opposite of his doing. He just turned his throne to a lumber wood ready for the fireplace.

"This is really annoying, can't we find someone else other than her? She's making herself so important to us."

"Then say it to her, she's stubborn, she wants that Azureth bitch to treat her," his veins were apparent to his head.

"Let's say that we disregard her, are we certain that there's someone out there to be like her?" Lust turned it the other way around.

"Temporarily, while we're looking for that vanished alchemist, we'll also find other that can help us with this," Envy said, obviously he wanted for them to stop talking about Azureth.

"What can I say about this? I'm so free and nothing to problem about." Ed said sarcastically.

"What's with you Ed?" Winry interrupted.

"This is so dull day, my body is craving for action," he exhaled.

"… or you're saying that you want to brawl with those people? You're war-freak and troublesome, let those pathetic people rest too." Winry replied back.

"I don't know if I'll be happy or mad about what you said." He laid his back to the couch.

"Oh, don't think about it, it's kinda mind blowing for your head." Winry snarled then realized that she wanted to take it back. "You better go outside and take in some fresh air," she continued and left Ed.

"Huh we're always fighting over nonsense stuffs," he buzzed and got out of the house.

"Hi brother," Al greeted that made Ed shocked.

"Don't ever do that again," Ed held his chest.

"You're occupied of something, aren't you?" Al seated at the porch.

Ed did the same, and sat beside him, "Nothing really."

"We should be unwinding ourselves, quit for the meantime what you're up to."

"I'm stupid, big loser."

"I didn't know that you know how to self-pity," Al chuckled.

"I'm serious."

"You're anxious about yourself? You better not be, you're the best brother in the whole world," Al said with sincerity, and he even hoped that it could build up his brother by those words.

"Maybe, but not as a son or a friend. This is why I hate not doing so much, I'm forced to think of the things that shouldn't be existing to my system. I'm in the state of chaos and doubt."

Al didn't respond, but he guided Ed's head with his hand and rested it to his shoulder.

"Al, you're a bit taller than me, my head won't really be placed to your shoulder if that's what you want," Ed growled.

"No, I can make it, lemme just…" and Ed's neck made a crack sound.

"AL! Why don't you just position yourself down a step on the stairs away from me?" Ed shouted.

"There's another option," Al prepared his lap to sleep on.

"You're not our mom for me to nap on," Ed refused.

"Okay I'll do your suggestion." Al moved a one step lower than his brother.

"Good. Now how will I do my catnap?" he whispered the last sentence. He just crossed both his arms and settled his head there and put it to the back of Al.

"Brother, understanding our lives are harder than the missions we're solving. Maybe if our mom's still here and well, even you don't want to hear it, of course our father we won't have any difficulties to our lives, and we won't even bug the people we're living now."

Al took a pause and glanced up to the sky. The clouds were gliding slowly to the air and was about to cover the sun. Suddenly the breeze stopped and became mild. The air was so gentle that it wouldn't be felt anymore. The clouds already blocked the rays of the sun. Al became quiet as the memories came rushing through him. There were the times they were so happy with their mother. Their life was so simple then and they were protected and untouchable by any danger. Contentment enveloped their family and absolutely no signs of grief. That was before, after the bliss they experienced, all of a sudden, it was destroyed when their father almost abandoned them and the death of their own mother. They tried to resurrect the one whom they owed their lives but it was a failure, moreover they created a homunculus that they defeated eventually. For him, it's okay to lose his body, he was just angry why his brother had to sacrifice his arm and leg, to think about it, his body was not enough for the sacrifice for the sin they did. _"I'm the brainless lowlife human who made this and you don't deserve to be in that armor! I should be the one… if only I have known that this would be the outcome, I would not have done that transmutation." _Those were the words his brother said to him when he woke up from the incident and the first time that he saw himself in the armor, actually his second life.

The sun slipped from the clouds and its shine was scattered down the earth, and Al went back to his senses. He looked at his back to find out that his brother was sleeping soundly. He smiled and decided to hoist his brother at his back to transfer to the room for Ed to lie well, not slouching at his back.

"I grasp the thought that we cannot have all the joy in our lives, trouble, problems that make us stronger. If our body is still not enough for the payment for the sin we did then so be it. As long as we're together we can surpass it with us smiling and together saying that we tricked death. Don't leave me brother and I will always be here with you, not by your side, not at your back, but ahead of you so I will absorb all the blows that will come our way. I'm sure that even I cannot fight them all, I know the impact will be lesser for you but, as much as possible I want to eat all of them so no one will hurt us." Al grabbed both of the legs of Ed and stood up quietly then out of nowhere he cursed himself.

"OUCH!" Ed cried while rubbing the back of his head.

"Oops…" Al wanted to be eaten by the soil.

Al raised the legs of Ed without thinking that his brother was sleeping and his arms were not clinging to his neck. The next scene was, the big brother's skull hit the floor and to think that Al intervened between Ed's dreams, it would just add to Ed's anger.

Al couldn't stand it so he ran away, Ed followed him and they sprinted until Winry couldn't see the two anymore.

"Those two… they are so impossible." Winry was actually spying and laughed alone inside the house.

"Granny I must leave now, your family is great to be with, but the time isn't there always."

"I do understand, but before you leave, here take this," Nerissa handed her a bag of cookies.

"Don't bother granny, just give it to Andrei," she declined the food, which she really missed so much to eat.

"I will insist it please," and put it to her hand.

"This is so tempting, but if you really like for me to have it…" then she opened it and took a bite, she offered it to the woman but she refused it.

"Will you go back here after you finish the mission you're up to?" Nerissa asked, apparently hiding the intention that she wanted for her to stay more.

"I would love to, but I'm not certain about it, if I can even make it here."

"Is that really dangerous for you to say that?"

"I don't know too, I want to do many things and I'm on the verge of rejecting that aim, what keeps me on doing that is to end all the misdeeds of the people. I've with so many people and they are so wonderful, but that's being indecisive which not my nature is," then swallowed the bits of biscuits.

"In the long run, you won't find satisfaction if you won't fulfill your objective."

Azureth hugged the old woman and thanked her for helping even clearing some mist on her mind. "You know, I've in this place for couple of days but I didn't know that you even have oven or anything to make cookies, I know how to bake you know, I could have baked sweets for you and Andrei."

Nerissa laughed, "The cookies are not from here, it came from the city."

"Uh? But you said it's too far that…" Azureth heard the 'meow' of the cat. "Is it Tammy's doing?"

"Yes, actually Andrei told me to give it to you, probably the cat said it to him. I think the cat likes you too."

"Well say thank you to my little friend," she rose and readied herself to depart from the place. It felt that she was in the hospital but a homey one.

"I'll say it to her, don't worry. Andrei!" she called her grandchild.

"What is it grandma?" then he saw her surrogate sister outside the house.

"Bye Andrei," and Azureth waved smiled.

"Why are you saying that?" the kid's eyes became puffed and red.

"I'm leaving Andrei," the cat appeared and rubbed its fur to Andrei's shin.

"I thought you'll live here…" there went the sobs of the child.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't say a word to stay here, come on, don't cry," she stepped forward to hush the little kid but Nerissa motioned to stop her.

"You may now leave, don't worry about Andrei, it will be really hard for him to know that you'll leave but he will go back eventually," the woman explained.

Azureth didn't say a word instead made her way out of the place. She wanted to go back and then leave while the kids asleep but it would hurt her too much if she would stay long there. She owed her life to them but what did she do in return? Nothing but just stole the happiness that the family found in her, she thought while walking.

She stopped on walking and turned around, but she couldn't see the house anymore, suddenly the bushes beside her made a noise. She composed herself and looked at the bush when something jumped on her. It was the cat.

"Tammy?" she called the name of the cat.

"Meow, meow." The obvious reply that she would get from a cat.

"What are you doing here? You should be with Andrei while I'm aw-"

The cat scratched her on her cheek. Involuntarily she threw the cat but it managed to get down gently.

"Why did you do that?" she wiped the blood coming from her cut.

"You made him cry, I won't forgive you," that came from the mouth of a cat.

"Wh- what are you? How come you can talk?" she was astonished and amazed at the same time. To her dismay the cat left already. She wanted to go after it but the only place she knew where the cat's whereabouts was the Andrei's home, and she wouldn't want for the kid to cry again. Her curiosity wouldn't help her that time. She wished that after her mission she would really dropped by again to the mysterious place with that Cheshire cat.

… T_T


	10. Mission is all I Need!

Chapter 10: Mission is what I Need!

Another day was over and Ed looked forward to that new morning. The unintentional break turned out to be a disordered reflection of his identity. It was funny because he was more afraid of facing the fact of his life than the assignments Mustang let him to do just to get him away from the city. The traces of what happened and he had done haunted him yesterday. Secretly, he was really listening to Al, but he didn't finish his snooping because his dream called him and subsided easily to the trance. He became conscious of what his little brother's sentiment on the tragedy they experienced. He noticed that all the words he heard from Al were a little mature. He's tougher now, he thought. That idea pierced to his mind that he should not let any emotion of being defeated slip out of him. He swore that he wouldn't be simply staggered by any obstruction along the way for his brother. Of course he needed to make a way to gain back what were taken from them.

"Al I'm raring to go, where are you?" Ed stretched his arms and made a warm up. He was the first to get outside the house.

"Wait up brother," Al was running toward him.

"Take care yourselves, especially you Ed," the old bat mentioned.

"They should be the one to look for their selves," Ed replied.

"Here you go again Ed, and then you'll be going home armless," Winry inserted to the talk.

"Nyah… don't start our day with this bantering," Al on the acted as the referee to the two.

"You're still not used to them?" Pinako turned away to them and got inside the house.

"You know Al, as if I don't know, that's Winry's way of telling me to take care myself," he teased.

The lass raised her fist and controlling her temper, "ED! Shut your mouth or I'll smash your head!"

"See? She's guilty," and Ed didn't manage to laugh because the wrench landed to his head. Winry closed the pathetic door.

"Ouch…" Al mumbled with his eyes closed.

"Let's go Al?" and he even smiled after what happened.

"Okay."

"Uhm, brother? You had your head crashed the other day and now your skull suffered again, do you think it will happen tomorrow?" Al asked seriously that made Ed to continue his impeded laugh.

"We should be thankful that it turned out to be like that. If she didn't do that, then something wrong was going on. I mean, that's just normal."

The brothers took the train going to the Central. They were quiet while on their travel, which was usual. The older one would always look outside the window and Al on the other hand was sitting firmly opposite to his brother. Ed wouldn't want to come up with a conversation because it might just lead to their childhood memories then resulting to regrets again, also, he didn't want to open up the topic of Azureth who was still missing at the moment. The leave was helpful for Al to forget the ruffled alien. He chose to look around the train from his seat. Base on what he was seeing, the passengers were not of the ordinary classmen. He even noticed the fat woman, sitting adjacent to them, with so many jewelries sticking to its neck and wrists. The woman made an eye contact and stared at him with a grim face.

"As if I'll be stealing your precious gems from you?" he buzzed exasperatedly then looked to other people along for the ride.

He changed his look and slid his back making his body lopsided on his seat. That time what he spotted from afar, near the joint of the train, was a group of five people in black,.

"Seems a notorious gang…"

"Huh? What is it brother?" Al disrupted his thoughts.

"Ah? Oh nothing. I'm making myself busy with our co-commuters," Ed reasoned in no time and straightened his sit.

"Why don't you take a little walk, you're just bored here I guess," Al suggested.

He nodded and stood up with his hands both on his pockets. "Don't leave here Al, I'll be back a sec."

"Take your time brother, and I won't leave here."

Ed started to walk on the moving train. He smirked unobvious to the jeweled woman and headed to the door of the trunk, he made his mind up to go to the last part of the train to inhale fresh air. As he went along the way, the suspicious men he saw a while ago were there, he passed to them when the other man in black moved fast and aimed a gun on his side, particularly to his ribcage.

"Give all what you have there and I'll spare your life," the stranger whispered with a hardened voice.

Ed sensed that he shouldn't make a wrong move or else the rest of the rail users in the trunk would panic and would attract the entire passengers of the train. He observed the baddies and couldn't help but to grin.

"If you think it we will be frightened by that look to your face think again," one of the members murmured and pushed the gun to him.

"_Better play with them first, as for now I can handle the situation,_" and he laughed in his mind.

"Are you afraid that you can't even say a single word?"

"Please, show a little mercy on me," he pretended to be pathetic in the situation.

"Gimme your belongings and be sure that you won't resist," the guy stood up and like a security guard inspecting Ed to get the things that were worthy to sell. One of the hoodlums seemed to get something out of him.

"Gotcha! You're a nice kid after all, here" and he handed the watch to their 'boss'.

The 'boss' with a skinny figure snatched the stuff from his member and scrutinized it with his specs. After that his face went like an eggplant when he saw what was engraved at the pocket watch. His eyes were looking for something or someone and when he spotted what he was searching for, he returned the timepiece immediately to Ed and knocked the guy who pestered kid.

"I'm sorry for bothering you, we're just kidding," and there goes the fake laugh.

"Ah, I get it. Well, okay I'll be going. Good day to you gentlemen," he feigned and passed them.

"Boss! Why did you-"

"Shut your mouth or you'll get your face to the mud pit."

"But boss…" and became quiet when he noticed the infuriated face of their superior.

"Didn't you become aware of the watch? Take a look at the passenger at the left third seat from ours."

The constituents looked on one way and saw Al sitting and making his self busy. They all trembled at the sight, and they got the message that it was a great decision not to mess with the long haired kid a while ago.

"So you're saying that…"

The 'boss' continued what the hoodlum would say, "Yes, the one who is sitting there is the Full Metal Alchemist. With that armor he is wearing he can even break this whole train if we quarreled with his little brother. So thank me that I acted fast that we prevent-"

"I think you're making a TINY mistake there," Ed said calmly while his fist was shaking uncontrollably.

The pathetic 'boss' was kissing the floor due to the unmerciful punch of Ed whenever he is insulted by anyone with regard to his height.

"It's okay if you miss on thing that I'm the alchemist but I won't permit that you're saying that I'm little!" he bellowed.

"Well let's make it the other way around. Why don't we make any wrong to your identity that you're the alchemist but it's okay to say the truth which is you're really a miniature type alchemist right guys?" and the whole gang laughed that it shook that part of the train. Some were clutching their tummies that made worse the anger of Ed.

"So you want some pain in your asses? Then I'll give it to you!"

Al appeared at his back and stopped his blows. He was holding his brother's arm. "Brother, i know you're bored and it's all right to kill your time wandering in the entire train but I don't remember that you should kill this people."

"Watch your words Al, I'm not killing this people, I'm just teaching them to straighten up their zigzagged minds," and he even managed to kick someone's face.

Al lifted Ed and set at his back, "I'm making the apologies in behalf of my brother," and he bowed afterwards.

"But Al! They are the baddies here, hey you don't understand," and he saw the grins of the gangsters.

Al took a deep breath, "Brother, all I can say is we need to take other seats, away from them."

Now the men are letting out their tongues and pulling their lower eyelids with their index fingers.

"You're saving the butts of that ridiculous creatures? Why don't you look at them?"

It triggered the scandalous men to stop making funny faces and turned out to be pathetic once again.

"Whoah, what a fast change of emotion huh? You can't trick Al!" then suddenly Al made apologies again and pulled him out of the trunk.

Ed witnessed again the insulting faces of the worth-killing people, and then the door closed.

After minutes they arrived at their destination. "I'm thankful that we're out of that, now we can walk from here going to the Central."

"I really want to go back there and squish them."

Al did not say anything more.

* * *

"I'm sorry but there's no available mission at this rate. You can come back tomorrow if you're really dying to have one." It was Mustang.

"I am here to get a mission give it to me now!" Ed was gripping the edges of the table.

Mustang turned to Al, "is there something going on with your brother?"

Al just raised both his shoulders as answer.

"Now, if you want to waste your entire day throwing your insignificant words at me, I can't permit you because I'm feeling troubled now because Hawkeye is having her silent treatment upon me and I'm thinking of possible ways to eradicate that behavior," Roy was obviously shooing him out of his office.

"What! It's more important for you to think of unnecessary things than helping those people in need? Come on! I know you're just hiding things from your nose. GIVE IT TO ME NOW!" Ed was red as if about to explode.

"What do you want for me to do make a problem for your sake? Hah! Even I'm stupid I won't do that. Make-out mission, you're crazy," and faced the window.

"Hey I'm still talking to you! Don't turn your way from me!"

"Brother, there's no allotted assignment for us, we should head home instead," Al suggested.

"I can't this, power hungry general is doing nothing, he should provide me the never-ending missions!"

"But this time there won't be any mission so the only thing left is to go home."

"If you want to let go of her out of your mind… why not trying to find her?"

"Huh?"

Ed and Al were walking down the hallway and Riza was walking opposite them.

"Mustang is like in cuffs, what are you doing to him?"

"He started it all. About the cuffs you're talking about, he is the one who made that, maybe out of his guilt," and Hawkeye continued on walking passing them.

"There's a cold war between them right?" Al murmured.

"It's all her fault. If she's okay she should be here so that no one is getting anxious about her condition."

"Azureth? She's the one making them like this? You must be wrong brother, don't say that…"

"She's also my reason why I want to take missions even it's a useless one. Making myself busy, like that."

"One day, she'll come back, so we have to wait. She knows how to come here, however we don't know how to track her. So it's up to her if she wants to go back here."

"So you're ready that she won't come back?"

"Of course not, I'm really looking forward to see her again, but maybe this is not the time."

"In spite of what you said, she should be here, and not making all of us to worry about her. She's making herself so important, I hate it."

"You just miss her," then he giggled.

"Actually not, I'm just curious of what happened to her, that's all."

"You can't lie to me brother."

"It's not like what you think okay. Now let's go to another place."

"Hmm? Where?"

"Ahh, just come with me."

* * *

"I thought it would be a different place. We're just going back to Risembool," Al with slight sadness to his voice.

"Save your tears, the best place here on earth can be found here." Ed pointed a certain area on the side.

"Mom?"

"Right, let's get faster. Let's race going to mom," and the elder started to run.

"Hey wait brother! You should count up to three before the race begins!"

"Hurry up! I'll wait you here."

_ "Mama, is it true that our father is not a human?"_

_ She giggled, "To whom did you hear that?"_

_ "My brother would always say that, that's not true right?"_

_ "Well there are some people who are the true, but there are some who are hiding their true form as human."_

_ "I can't understand."_

_ "The latter one, they are human in form but not human on his actions. You should not really understand it in its literal meanings, you'll be confused if you take it that way." She brushed Al's hair_

_ "So where would papa fall from those categories?"_

_ "A human human. You know, it's fine to doubt sometimes because you can't be absolute of everything."_

_ "Did you doubt about papa?"_

_ Trisha laughed gently, "I must admit, you're questions are being harder and harder, why don't you play with your brother instead?"_

_ "…"_

_ "Ed is saying those words about your father because he left us. Ed is angry about him but the other side of him is missing him, but for now, the hatred is lapping his affection for your father. He must be feeling lonely so what you can do is to accompany him always. He can't control his feeling unlike you that's why he reacts against his will."_

_ "I will mom," and he smiled._

"My brother hasn't change at all, hiding his true feelings with irritation, and at the same time lonely. I know I cannot contain that power to make him comfortable and to send his problems away, but I want to think that I'm helping him to lessen it."

"Al, speed it up!"

"I'm coming!"

Al finally arrived at the tomb of their mother and sat beside it. Ed on the other hand laid his back on the grass and looked up at the sky. The dull image of the moon is visible, it was sunset and the darkness would eat up the red orangey light illuminated by the sun. Hour passed and the stars began to appear and twinkle because of the clouds covering it then revealing it to naked eyes. The hoots of the owl were echoing to the sky and the flaps of the bats were fighting with the other sounds at night. The fresh wind was blowing softly but managed to send shivers to their spines. Now the moon was shining brightly, stealing an ample light from the sun which was sneaking behind the time. The flowers were dancing with the mild breeze and a part of it flew to Ed, he caught it with his fingers.

"I want to make a wish out of this flower but… I know that's just silly."

"All you have to do is to believe."

"I don't believe in it."

"Then I'll make the wish," Al said.

"Okay, you're saying sensible things more than me," and he gave the flower to Al.

The only thing that Ed saw was his brother murmured something and then blew the flower away from them. The flower glided with the wind and successfully didn't land on the ground, as if the flower is a messenger and would go to someone who would grant Al's wish.

"What did you wish for?" Ed asked.

"I won't say it, because I believe that only the wisher will know the wish, and if I said it to you it would be junked."

"So be it, but I know how your mind works. The only thing that I'm sure is, your wish is for the benefit of others, not for your own."

"I treat wishes as gift. So I should give it to others, not for myself."

"What? So you're saying that I'm not giving you any gift because I treat wishes as a silly thing, oh, then I'll pick all the flowers here and make wishes for you."

"Remember brother, those are wishes, plain words with expectations. Yours is better than wishing it to flower, you saved me, and do you think if you wished that I come back after the tragedy I would come back? I guess not, you acted on it and that's better on wishing. You're strong and brave enough to save me from that vacuum thing," and he chuckled.

"Al, you're really bias. You're always praising me," he rested his head to his knees and his shoulders started to shake.

"Are you crying?"

"No."

"Brother…"

"I'm not crying!" and he looked to Al, he didn't know what he felt but he could read an emotion to Al's face, which was an impossible thing.

"I want to cry with you brother, but I simply can't…"

"Don't be envious of me crying. Crying is only for losers, and I'm a big loser! You're not one of us," he wiped his face with the back of his hands and became serious.

"I'm sorry."

"It's late we should go home Al."

"Okay."

"And Al… I want to promise that I won't cry anymore. That's so stupid of me to let those tears out of my eyes… and another one, I'll return both of us to our own body, that's my great promise and that won't be plain words, if those are too idealistic then I won't have any second thoughts to make it for real."

_"Uhm. Mama, how will I know that a human is a true human?"_

_ "If he has a soul, and in order for you to know if he has a soul, he should have feelings a loving and a caring heart. Keep in mind that it cannot be understood with only factual things, even you have a heart but if you not used it according to its purpose…"_

"Even I'm hollow inside… I'm still a human. I don't even think about my body that can be hurt easily… that is gone. I can live without it, but that's what driving my brother to be fulfilled and to be contented, so I won't steal that promise to him… but, the consequences are too risky. It can even cost his life."

* * *

a year passed i think and i thought i will not be able t finish uploading this story, hahaha. i was busy and forgot the whole thing about uploading and my username and password too! T_T i'll be uploading the next chapters till it's end... it'll be 13 all in all, and i just noticed this time about the line breaks from chapter 6 to 9 is missing! i can't edit it anymore, so i'm sorry about the sudden change of scene, probably the line break is missing there. _ sorry. T_T


	11. Azureth in the House Yo!

CHAPTER 11: Azureth in the House Yo!

Weeks had past fast and the something unusual would happen after the morning routine of Ed.

"Aaah…" Ed yawned widely. With the use of his fingers, he wiped the small tears coming from his eyes. He looked around the room. Al wasn't there. He set out of the room and he could smell the cooked fried eggs, bacon and the toasted bread. As he was approaching the kitchen he heard laughter and giggles, even the barks of the dog. He smiled at that idea, despite of the fact that he wasn't seeing them that time. He missed the family in its truest sense. He skipped fast and arrived in the room, then eventually stopped.

"One, two, three, four, and five…" he counted the presence of all around the table.

"Oh, look who's here, join us Ed," Winry said inviting him.

"So where do you think I can put myself here?" he was pertaining to where he would be seated. "SOMEONE occupied my spot here."

"I'm finished here, I have to do something with the sink," Pinako offered him a seat.

Ed responded immediately and pulled the chair. The result, Ed was facing them all, Al on his right and Winry with Azureth on his left side that made his brows went to one line.

"Don't look at me like that," the unwanted visitor said.

"Are you for real?" still his eyes were glued at her.

"Ed, it will be nice to welcome a new member of our family, now stop being rude," Winry said while slicing the bacon on her plate.

"What? Okay, I think you're losing all your minds people. She, in our family? You didn't even consult me with this issue. I vote that she drag her ass out of here, raise your hands if you want it to…" nobody seemed to like his idea. He then glared to his little brother.

Al was afraid to his brother, although it was against his verdict, he chose to come along with him, but Winry let out her weapon tapping it to her other hand. She was actually threatening him not to follow his brother. In the end, even Al wouldn't be hurt with the wrench Winry was holding, it somewhat motivated him to do what her really wanted.

"Hey! I saw that! You're intimidating my ally! That is forbidden!" Ed complained.

"As if you didn't do it earlier than I," Winry admitted in a not obvious way.

"Then the dog is with me!" he took the paws of the canine.

"Hello! You're still outnumbered!" Winry was tired of the morning fight. Azureth just kept her eyes on tracking the people who were talking while sipping milk from the tall glass.

"Then I'll raise my two hands together with my feet and the dogs paws," he said. "Enough Ed, you're not funny anymore."

"I agree," Azureth second the motion.

The dog bit his automail, "Fine, I think just a vote is good to send her to other family."

Scenes fast and Winry gave her a nice meal for the day, a taste of her wrench.

"Ouch! What was that for?" he cried.

"Fixing your head I guess…" she blew the tip of the metal like it was a pistol and slipped it in her pocket.

"I'm done here," he went out. He hammered the house's front door just to say that he was distressed.

"Brother…" Al stood up.

"Let me handle him Al," Azureth rose and still on her hand was the glass of milk.

"… but," the only word came out from Al as he watched her following her brother.

"We know they are not in good terms until now. Do you think she can really make him calm down?"

"Negative if your brother is stubborn as always or positive if his temper will lie low… very very low," Winry reasoned. "Why he finds it hard to forgive someone? I thought everything would be all right but look what happened." she continued.

"I can't blame him though… but sometimes he's being unpredictable, maybe things will turn the other way around, let's just wait," Pinako walked in the kitchen.

* * *

"Are you my shadow to stick with me wherever I go?" he was obviously annoyed of her.

"Wrong! Even if you want badly your shadow or the reverse of it, in times of darkness you won't be able to see each other always," then and she beamed at him.

"Stop preaching," he snarled at her.

"Me preaching? Of course not! What I did is a joke. Your shadow doesn't leave you even in time of darkness. You may not able to see it but it is actually there. Tell me how can you see if everything's black like your shadow… and how can a shadow see you if it has no eyes?" she chuckled. She looked straight to Ed afterward who was now facing her. "Oh, I didn't know that you're slow Ed. You didn't get it?"

"It's not even a worth of a laugh that's all."

"Then I'll do it by myself," and she giggled there like a crazy one.

"Nonsense," then he started walking again away from her.

"Hey wait!" she ran beside him, "… so that put me to a conclusion that we both have something in common," she said.

He wrinkled his nose, "I doubt it."

"Well we're not good as clowns. Remember you made fun about the dog? Including him in the vote? I thought it was amusing too but turned out to be not, and a moment ago, I made a joke and wasn't funny either. See we're same on something," she explained.

He took deep breaths, "First it's not my ambition to be a clown, so don't dare to compare me with them and second, I'm not kidding a while ago, understand? Now get lost stray cat."

"Serious?"

"I'm dead serious! Do you think I'm lying?" he pointed his face, he was just an inch away from her face.

"Uhm, I think so…"

The Mt. Edward erupted again but took a hold of it when he saw Azureth's pouted red lips and memories of their first meeting flashed again. He was shaking his head hardly until he went dizzy just to get the thought out of his head.

"Are you alright?" she was trying to reach Ed but he flinched.

"Don't touch me."

Things went like these, Ed kept on walking to unknown destination but Azureth was there behind him still following. If he was running, she would do the same and if he would look at her, she would look up at the sky or at different direction except on his way.

"What do you want? Why you're after me?" he said irritably.

"We're on a problem I suppose," she replied.

"Then the only answer is with thi-" he was about to transmute the things around him when Azureth threw scalpels to his clothes and nailed him to the trunk of the tree.

"Dammit!" he was struggling there.

She took steps going to the tree, "I didn't mean to hurt you," she began to pull the surgical tools. Ed was freed and she rubbed the part of the wood that was damaged. It was weird thing he felt that she really cared to nature. He sat under the shade of the old tree.

"We do really have a big problem from the start," it was Ed.

"It's foolishness that we let it to live long between us. I know that you're hard to deal with, but I guess we can make sense this time," then she gulped the milk.

"You're still with that?" Ed was pertaining to the white liquid.

"You want? Here," She offered.

"Nah, I don't drink from someone's drink."

"Come on! You won't like it if I'll be the one who'll put this to your mouth!" she was insisting but Ed refused it.

"We already kissed and you're still uncomfortable with me?"

He coughed suddenly, "Don't dare to broadcast it again! I buried it deep down the earth and don't dig it up again!"

"And still you're affected! HA-HA-HA! Perhaps it's good to tell it to Winry, but I'm giving you a chance for my plan to change… let's see… how about this milk? Then we'll imagine that this is an alcoholic drink and we'll talk of sensible things," she was brushing the rim of the glass with her hanky.

"I'll take it," and he drank it straight.

Azureth started the conversation, "Ed I wonder if I can make some sort of an operation to your head and make your particular gland to release growth hormone?" she said seriously.

"Now look who's saying sensible things now. Are you making fun of me?" he snorted.

"You didn't laugh so I'm not making joke about you, anyway if that's your decision not to have a free safe operation then so be it. In case you change your decision, I'm ready anytime."

"The truth is… that idea didn't cross my mind."

"Maybe because this is the only time that you heard that with the help of operation it could awaken your growth hormone, so you could be taller, I mean tall. What really crossed your mind is that you were having regrets that you should have offered both of your legs so with the help of the automails you could even customize the height you wanted. Say, that's better! Why don't I cut your another leg so you can have the automail legs instead?"

"Don't make me a laughingstock… and for your information, I don't need any operations just to enhance my height, I would prefer the natural way on how to be tall!" Ed's nose and ears were blowing up smoke.

"What natural way?"

"Well, I'll just eat I guess, the food rich in calcium."

"There's no calcium in meat. You should drink more milk. Make it as your water."

"Okay Doctor Krueger."

"Going to the main topic… even it is awkward to open it up after our exchange of thoughts… uhm, I apologize for causing too much trouble," her emotions shifted to serious one.

"I'm not that type to forgive easily…" he said dismissively.

Azureth sighed, "So you like more of killing each other?"

"You don't understand. If you want to be part of a family, you need to have concern on them. Being a part of a family, you will have the responsibility that you won't let them worry to death, don't solve your problem by yourself!"

"Even if it's revenge I want? You can help? I won't let someone kill people for my sake," she paused and crossed her arms, "I'm only after your forgiveness because that's what I promised to Al, moreover, I don't want to be involved to anyone's family."

"You're rejecting it? You know that you'll regret it. Striving to live by yourself is nothing," he said.

"I don't care. I hate sacrifices but it keeps on chasing me. I had families and they all died as if there's an evil upon me making those tragedies. I can't afford to lose one again…"

"Whoah… you're scared? Why don't you put that aside and let us all shoulder it? It's better to share everything even it is burden, much easier to solve it."

"I'm only attach with you by your father's story and with that small reason the consequences of what you're talking about are at high risks," she picked the flower beside her.

"So you have that stigma that you really carry the 'curse' you've been talking about? Then you've already bestowed it on us. So running away is not an option, facing it is the only choice," Ed closed his hands.

"What if I fail?" she whispered.

"I know this one is a cliché, but it's the truth that you should give your best shot than to do nothing. At any rate, I can't see any trouble since you came here."

"It's just not the right time Ed, it is the curse that will be looking for us, not us searching to it."

"Anytime is the right time, enough of this curses, because how can you say that you're carrying one? Things happened before for it was meant to be, not because it was your fault."

Azureth laughed, "You said that you were not forgiving me for unknown reason and now I think you want me to be part of your family? You're confusing me Ed."

He turned his head above then to Azureth, "The truth is, before they embraced you as a member of our family, I already recognized you as one… saving me, Al, curing Winry's hands even if you were the one who caused that, and not beating up the old bat. What I didn't like is your disappearance after the last encounter to Scar, then showing up all of a sudden. You shouldn't do that. You were well wounded and alone at the same time. It would be hard for you to tend your cuts by yourself. Just imagining it, I don't think that I can make it by myself, you must be pretty tough after all."

Azureth let those words one by one sink into her head. Definitely she was touched by what the guy told her. "Thank you, but do you think I deserve that kind of treatment?"

"Nothing more, nothing less. Welcome to our amazing family, your new life. Now, we will go home because I'm starving, I didn't know that this stuff would be harder for me and even my stomach suffered. After that there'll be a series of chores that you have to do, your schedule in the household," a curve formed to Ed's lips showing his teeth. He rose and lent a hand to Azureth for her to get up easily. Their hands joined together.

"Now I know my role… as your maid. I should have known it earlier." They both laughed as they headed home.

"_I was looking for forgiveness and in return I got something that so precious to my memory. A new journey with new people. I didn't know that Ed could turn out with that smile that so impossible for me. Now I want to experience my life with them. I'm sooooo excited! "_

* * *

Azureth closed the door at her back. It was early in the morning when she went out.

"How's your first day?" Ed was scratching his hair.

"First day? This is my second," she said to him.

"Whatever… anyway how was your first day and how is your second day?"

"Great! Free food, shelter… why you're early?"

"I should be the one asking you that," he returned the question.

"I can't sleep so I went somewhere to unwind and think."

Ed's brow raised, "Are you not used to us? You don't have to mind all the things, just go with the flow."

"You don't understand, anyway, are you going to Central with Al?" she assumed where he was going.

"Yeah… but my brother won't accompany me. I'll just pass the papers from our previous mission and I'll be gone home too," he informed.

"I see… so I can talk to Al while you're not here! I can't wait for that to happen… will you now leave please?"

"Silly! You can tell him anything you want even I'm around. Forget what I said before."

The sun was finally up and Ed was ready to set off.

* * *

"How are you?" Winry sat beside her in the porch of the house.

"I'm at my best condition. Anyway do you really think that I'm just spoiling my days here, because you're the second in line who asked me the same thi-."

The door behind opened and Al emerged from it, "Good morning people! Hey Azureth are you enjoying your staying here?"

"Uhm, well yes definitely, nothing to be sorry of," she saw Pinako approaching them. "Er, are you going to ask me too if I'm fine living at this point?" she told the woman.

"I think I heard enough," Pinako simply replied.

"Well then it ends your concerns from now on." She said.

"I don't think so…" Winry interrupted. The dog barked facing them and ran toward Azureth that made her to fall her back on the floor. The dog licked her on her face while wagging its tail. "He's probably telling you if you're okay too," Winry continued.

All of them laughed aside from Pinako who were watching the kids and the dog that was still patting Azureth.

"This is real home," Azureth thought.

* * *

"So that kid is once here again. I told you she wouldn't be that weakling to go beyond that incident," Roy was talking to his lieutenant.

"You can't blame me if I'm worrying too much." Riza walked out of the office.

"Now, the term papers I need?" he stretched his arm to get it from Ed.

Ed threw it on the table, "I bet she'll visit her, how about you?"

"What for? For them to point their fingers at me? The mere news that she's okay and alive, I'm at ease now."

"You said it huh? Anyway no one's stopping you from coming over to our house. Or is it your pride that's hindering you?"

"Don't talk as if we're friends." Roy turned his way toward the window.

Ed sighed, "Oh come on, it's fine that you drop by to Risembool. I'll be going now general."

The full metal alchemist wasn't there but Roy kept quiet. He faced his table and opened the drawer. He got something on it and put it back from where it was before. He clasped his hands and closed his eyes.

* * *

i'm still grieving over the 4 chapters with no line breaks cause it might really confuse the readers *_*...cause every document here being uploaded only lasts for 60 days, and considering my absence here in for a year... it's very obvious that i will not be bale to retrieve that. T_T


	12. The Abduction

CHAPTER 12: The Abduction

"Do you think we have to talk about something?" it was Al, sitting on the floor of their room. It was night and the women were all asleep.

Ed twitched on his bed, "If it's about her, then no. In fact, if it costs her a hair for every talk that we do on her back, then she would be on her scalp now."

Al laughed quietly, "… but then it doesn't cost her any. There's no problem with it."

Ed looked at his little brother, "She's not an alchemist anymore, we can't do anything with that reality. Pitying her, she'll just hate it. So let's treat her like before as if nothing happened."

"She's having a hard time on accepting it, I can see it. How did it happen? After our encounter to Scar, she was gone and then back again. Scenes are happening fast."

"Yeah… we still don't know…"

A loud noise banged to their house. Ed and Al got up to their feet and went hurriedly to where the explosion-like sound heard. They met Pinako and Winry on the way to the living room. The dog was growling on the side.

Smoke was visible to Azureth's room. Suddenly the homunculi appeared. Lust, gripping on Azureth's arm, Gluttony, plastered with the usual evil smile and Envy, walking to them. Ed showed his sharp weapon and Al covered Pinako, Winry including the dog with his armor.

"Drop your blade… I won't fight," Envy took a hold of Ed's shoulder, "… we're taking her huh?" he asked the permission insultingly.

"I won't allow it," he snarled.

Envy grabbed his hair, "I don't take no as an answer," then he released his hand to Ed's hair and punched the alchemist's stomach.

Ed knelt on the floor clutching the injured part of his body. Winry ran to Ed and faced the wicked homunculi.

"You don't have the right to hurt him!" and a wrench emerged on her hand then attacked the homunculus.

"Winry!" Ed shouted from behind, "I'm alright," and spat blood and wiped his mouth by his knuckle.

"Ed," she stopped and helped him to stand.

Envy laughed shrilly, "Well then, bid farewell to your friends."

"Wait a sec," Azureth kept on struggling to get away from Lust.

Envy's brow raised, "We're kidnapping you fool, you can't have any conditions to set up with us. Let's go."

However, Azureth wanted to be freed from what tied on her both wrists, "I can't go without my equipments," she lied.

"We can provide you with that," Lust's fingers thrust her arm that made her to scream, blood flowed eventually.

"I'm comfortable with my own equipment, I can't go operate with anything else," she insisted.

"Then let her go," Envy commanded.

Azureth ran to a room. Her housemates followed her without any protest from the homunculi.

"You're crazy! They will get you killed!" Ed scolded her.

"This is my only chance!"

"What chance?" it was Al.

"They are taking me as a prisoner for the reason that they want to remedy the illness of Dante, with my knowledge to medicine," Azureth answered.

"You'll help them?" Ed asked.

"You're more stupid than I thought!" then lowered her voice, "… destroying her is what I aim for."

"Do you think that they don't know that you're planning to fail them? They can terminate you in just a snap!"

"Then I'll make the first move."

"Knowing them… you just can't be with them, you're outnumbered and…"

"I guess you can manage to scare them a bit. It seemed that they still don't know that you're not an alchemist anymore," Al buzzed, then shut his mouth; he thought that it was a bad idea, moreover saying it to them.

Ed ignored it, "Your life is at stake, you can't disregard that important thing! You won't go with them," Ed was trying to stop her.

"Don't you know the word sacrifice? I'm so ready to face my death. Hey, I'm taking too much time here, it'll be suspicious for them to stay longer," she packed all the stuff she intended to be needed and went out of the room.

"You can't let her, can you?" Pinako adjusted her glasses.

* * *

The homunculi, together with Azureth arrive in the mansion. Dante's residence. Azureth walked with them. She pictured the house as a well-maintained one, clean, cozy, like a house where a family dwells in harmoniously. Lust pushed her, signing her to go faster. Gluttony on her side, Envy on her front and Lust on her back, she was totally guarded by the homunculi. There was no escape even after the operation; anyway she readied herself to die. Absolute death, as if she engaged herself to a military service running to the war without ammunition.

_"I still know how to play with the organs even I'm an ordinary person. Maybe I can trick them," _she muttered.

They entered an area. The ray of the light passes through the tall stained glass window. A Victorian style bed on the center, there laid Dante. She could smell awful stench, probably from the body of the patient. She approached the bed; she saw a partly decomposing body. Her face wrinkled and covered her mouth by a hand.

"If you can't help her then go now while you can, or you'll be gone forever," Envy whispered to her ear and it made all her hair to rise up.

"… and if I can? You'll set me free and never to bug my family again?" she sweat-dropped.

"Do you know to whom you bargain at? The Elric Brothers are seeking for the philosopher's stone. I can't let them go with it. Anyway as I said, you are not in the right place to set conditions. You only have two options, whether you cure the patient or run away from us and we'll be haunting you forever. You see this is lose-lose scenario," Envy brushed his fingers to her pale cheek.

Azureth shivered, she withdrew herself to the homunculus and wiped hastily the part where he made the contact.

"Why don't you go and find the Philosopher's stone then? Why snatching it to them?"

"Tch… you don't understand it purely. We can't concoct one. We're not alchemist and don't have the capabilities of making one."

She looked at Dante, "After mending her… what's next?"

"To tell you the truth, we're aware that you can fake your operation and possibly to kill her. Haaah… you need to start now," Envy walked on the corner of the room and stood there eyeing her.

"We'll be watching you," Lust threatened and followed Envy.

"Hey! You didn't answer my question!"

"I'm still undecided. Thinking that you're planning to terminate the patient or mend her, there's difference between that, and the consequences are depending on your actions."

Finally, she wore her face mask and scattered the set of medical equipments. She started the operation. Knowing that all eyes of the homunculi were at her, they know her every move and even her breathing. Upon examining the body of Dante, , an ordinary doctor wouldn't really change her shape to a healthier one. Alchemy is powerful but she had also doubts if it could really help. She switched the electric lamp and focused it at the abdomen part. She couldn't classify her existence, as a human, a homunculus, or the combination of the two.

She learned that Dante is living for a quite long time, but her skin is not wrinkled as it should be. Her face is absolutely younger than her age.

After observing the patient, she put on her gloves. She laid a hand on the unknown stuff, it was firm, and she couldn't move the internal parts as if it was cemented there. She grabbed the two of the medical equipments and aimed it on the strange things deep down the body. The gas leaked from it and awful smell went to her nose. Her lungs shriveled. She coughed continuously and tears were about to come out. She turned back and inhaled clean air that she could take, when she resumed on the ongoing 'operation' Envy spoke.

"You're taking too much time, won't you make it faster to get rid of my suspicion that you're trying to kill the patient? I think I have to set the time, how about an hour?"

"… but, it can't be! This is my first time try to see her. I can't just make my diagnosis and operation as fast as an hour!" she exclaimed.

"You're an alchemist. You have to connect the small tubes correctly and that's it! I don't even know why you're with your equipments if your bare hand can do the operation!" Envy growled.

Azureth's knees were shaking uncontrollably but she managed to hide it. "I can't do it within an hour… I just run and will be haunted forever then. I'm done here," she removed the mask and went to the doorway. She hoarded many guts just for those words to come out, but because her nature, the one being stubborn she couldn't help but to complain. On the other hand, she regretted what she did eventually. She couldn't handle the situation for it to favor at her. Her fate was depending on those homunculi's dirty hands and she hated the thought very much.

"Why don't give her all the time this day huh? Be patient, not all things can be taken recklessly, right?" Lust was talking to Envy.

The hot tempered homunculus approached Azureth and took a hold of her collar. He raised her until her feet couldn't feel the floor.

"Don't be flattered because you're the only person who can tend the woman lying on that bed that I can think of. Think about this, if you'll try to do it again, I won't have any hesitation to send you first to hell!" envy leaned to Dante and hurled her on the wall.

Azureth was dumped beside the bed. She stood slowly and massaged her back. She was looking for a broken bone, and she was glad that she didn't find any, but still her arm throbbed because of the wound created by Lust. She regained herself and picked up the worn mask. She decided to perform the 'real' operation. She looked at her side to see that her medical kit was missing. The only trace left was the munching sound that Gluttony was making. Her eyes gone big and she noticed that her set of various sized scalpels were ingested already. She ducked on the bed, on search for one, but she didn't find what she was looking for.

Envy, slouching on the corner felt that she was having a problem and asked her rudely.

"Delaying tactics?" he said while nearing to her. "What are you looking for?" he continued.

"My scalpels, they're gone," she looked up at him.

"Stupid, you're too careless! We're talking of a life here, and then you're there problematic of your scalpel?" he bellowed.

"Well it wouldn't happen if your brother didn't eat all of it!" she faced him irritated, all of a sudden, once again… she forgot that she was talking to Envy. Her war-freakiness lapped her fear. _"… Now this is a real problem… I can't use my very hand to destroy the solid body of Dante… maybe there's another way… but for the meantime I have to distract this monster."_

"Jerk, turn this to your beloved blade!"

"No… I need it also to the operation," she made a stupid alibi. _"Damn! Procrastination doesn't help!"_

"There are tons of scissors around here, right Lust?" he leaned back to the other homunculus.

"I cannot work with other things, I'll just use mine!" she was paler than ever. She couldn't divert the problem.

"What a lousy reason… go back to your patient."

"_Whooh… that was close…"_

"You're not an alchemist, are you?"

Lust appeared in her view, this time Azureth's face was scared, and it was late for her to hide it.

"Why with that reaction? Are you busted with your different plot? TELL ME!" Lust squeezed her bleeding arm from the wound she did when they were kidnapping her.

"Aaahhh!" the scream faded away afterward.

"It was a hunch, but I got you there. Now face your death!" Lust was savage as ever, her face turned to an ugly one.

"_Oh no! She's too sensitive, but, no, no t this time…" _

She decided to fight them with words, "Didn't you read my answer on my face?" she quarreled to Lust

The homunculus released her from the grip, "So, you never meant to do the operation and to help the patient to recover?" her elongated fingers reached Azureth's neck and it bled with just a simple scratch. Slowly it went up to her cheek and drew a line there.

"You must die!"

"I DON'T THINK SO!" Ed answered and Al also was there.

While the rest of the homunculi were absorbed by the arrival of Elric Brothers, Azureth seized the scissors and stabbed Lust's arm. The only female homunculus drew back and squirmed.

The battle was on rage. Ed faced Envy and Al to Gluttony. Meanwhile, the golden haired girl rushed to Dante. Lust n the other hand recovered from the attacked and looked for her immediately.

* * *

"So you're making her a decoy for the ambush here in our own place?" Envy said between the assaults.

"Decoy? Of course not! We'll help her and we won't allow her to die!"

"Playing a character of a hero… oh…" he replied mockingly.

"I don't care what your opinion is, bastard!" and Ed head butted Envy.

Envy held his forehead, "If I'm a bastard then you are too, you and your brother!"

* * *

Al was dodging Gluttony's bites. Al drew transmutation circle and transformed the floor to a cage. It easily trapped the fat homunculus.

"I don't know how long it will keep him there but I have to prioritize Azureth." Then he ran toward her then changed the direction when he saw Lust targeting the unaware girl.

"STOP!" Al was calling the attention of the homunculus. It seemed that he did it

"So what's the other Elric doing here? Dipping yourself to OUR fight? You'll definitely regret this."

"I know what I'm doing!"

"_I'm sorry Ed, and Al, I need to use you both for my selfishness…"_

Finally she was there at that spot. There was no emotion on her face, just blank… the time that she was longing for to happen. No hesitation, the time was ticking passed at her. She clapped her hand and a light flashed all over her. It was the destruction of Dante she was aiming for.

"The sinful one must repent. Making artificial life is not part of the universe thus, you must die and the rest of the things that you did violating the law… I'll help you to repent, giving your life is the only answer!" her hands moved apart and put it at the decomposing body when Gluttony dashed to her side and sank his teeth to her one shoulder and ate the whole arm. Her blood scattered all over the place and even unto her body. The phase of time ran sluggishly. She felt numb, the shock and pain didn't cross her. Still her only left arm accidentally landed on the face of Dante and damaged it. It would affect the chest of the patient but Gluttony managed to push the bed away from her with a great force.

"_It will kill you slowly, that's what I can see that will serve as your punishment …"_

"I want to go back to my lovely home… please…" Azureth murmured and something or someone cold picked her up and brought her gently out of the danger zone.

* * *

Azureth fell on the floor, all of them saw that and it made them to impede the battle. Al and Ed went hurryingly to the girl they wanted to rescue. The two homunculi automatically looked at the way of Dante, when they recognized that Dante was in good hands, they regained to their senses and realized that they have dumped the intruders including the fake medic out of the house.

"You're forgetting us huh?" Envy blocked Ed, like Lust, she also obstructed the way of Al.

"Gluttony, get her to a safer place," Lust instructed. Gluttony pushed the bed noisily out of the room. They were left in the room; both of the brothers were irritated to the homunculi guarding them.

"Get out of the way, if you don't want to be killed!" Ed shouted to them.

"Then kill us, go ahead, but don't expect that you can even make a scratch on us," Envy said slowly.

"Look, you won't do anything about your friend. Anyway that's her price of betraying us, very deserving indeed," Lust told them.

Al punched her on face, "Oops, I'm sorry… I thought it would help to keep your mouth shut!"

Lust flinched. Al took the opportunity to come close to Azureth.

"Al! Get her and we'll make our way out of here!" Ed yelled to his little brother then looked to Envy.

"I guess that's a good move to make. We don't mind if you can dig up a path out of here," Envy said like giving them the chance to go away out there. He gestured Lust to come with him. Ed sprinted to the two and Lust went to Envy.

"You can't kill them?" it was Lust.

"Silly, the patient is not feeling well, and those two is still a help to us."

"She's still an alchemist… I see it with my two eyes, I guess I made the wrong decision to hurt her… but I must say, she's a pretty good actress to respond in that way, that she was scared."

"Let's quit thinking of that. We can still find someone like her, but next time we'll make sure that they will follow everything that we initiate so we won't fail again." The two were lost in the vision of the brothers.

The place turned to red and was almost destroyed. The stained glasses were broken and the debris dispersed in the room. The sunny day outside became a stormy one and the lightning was giving them the ample beam to see Azureth gone like a wind in the place. It happened again to her, but this time, would it be for real that she was dead or would there be a miracle to save her once more?

* * *

I think i fast forwarded the story, i don't know what happened to me before why i did that. actually i read this and i forgot some details... i haven't read all of it, and no editing happened, so sorry for misspelled words and grammar. hahaha


	13. A Cycle Has No Ending

Chapter 13: A Cycle Has No Ending

_Kill thyself on reading someone's diary! Or you can escape thy curse if you won't tell me. _A little note inscribed at the back cover of an old notebook. Ed closed it and got up from his seat at the windowsill. He placed the note pad at the table beside the shelf situated near the pane.

"Tell me, if I say to you that I have read your journal would you go back here and curse me face to face? If that's the case I could even shout it out loud." Ed whispered.

"Brother… shall we go now? I can't stand it that we're staying here for long," Al said on the other side while holding a book.

Ed ignored what Al said, "I'm surprised, I thought she's a cat who has nine lives… is this really the end for her?"

"…"

"We spent most of our time with banters more than being friends. I have my regrets that even my sadness cannot cover up."

"Let's go now Al."

They were now outside of the old shack, located at the cliff of a huge boulder. The place was beautiful the eyes would never say no to feast on. A rock formation that plants has the capacity to live and to survive through. Azureth found a paradise from the place. It was like a rock before that turned out to be tamed by the girl and now on its full bloom. Surprisingly and amazingly that was the only colorful place on that isolated area.

"She had taken care of the place, maybe she lived here before she met us," Al said as they walked away from the old house. They made a truce that no one should look back at it. They decided not to do anything harm on it, the nature has the privilege to do whatever to the home.

"Azureth lived like a royalty when she was a kid. She was living in a castle on high lands, which makes me to think that she missed her own true family."

"She's tough to live by herself and making things to accompany her. I could feel the aura of the house that it wanted to throw us out of there, as if we were invading someone's property."

"She's mysterious."

"Yeah."

"Do you have any ideas why her body is nowhere to be found?"

"Are you saying that there's a possibility that she's still alive?"

"What I'm saying is that we could have done any funera-. Hey! You're right!" Ed said and drew to a realization that Al has an idea.

"What? You're preparing her funeral without her own body? You're fast forwarding the time brother."

"… but it took her sometime to come back. Do we have to wait again?"

"She loves surprising us right?"

The leaves of the notebook turned as the wind made it to do so. The wind stopped and let the pages to show the pictures which Azureth drew when she was still living in the house… the sketches of the people that she valued most in her life.

* * *

"Mama, there's something growing here," Elisha pointed the plant with bud on it developing on the niche of his father.

"What is that?"

Suddenly the sun let its rays to pass through the clouds. It reigned up to dominate the sky for the day, with its half figure somewhat sneaking from the moon. It shone to the tombs around them and the bud blossomed and the white with red colors of the petals widened.

"Wow!" the kid was amazed as she watched the flower boasting its bright appearance.

"A morning glory… in a snowy day like this?" Mrs. Hughes was taken aback. Then she slowly held her head up high.

* * *

Going to Risembool, it was morning and Pinako was preparing breakfast for the young people living with her in the house. She looked at the window and everything was written in there. She walked near it and touched it and wiped some of the moist made by the cold temperature outside. She was surprised to see a girl with an opened umbrella, and the top was covered by snow, standing on the road. The image didn't move, even she couldn't see the face because of what the figure was holding she was sure who was it. She smiled into it and it was gone.

"She's visiting the children," and she took a glimpse upstairs where the rest of Winry were still sleeping. The dog barked as if telling her that he even saw the silhouette of a familiar person outside. She rubbed the dog's head and scratched its chin.

"You did see her, right?" Pinako removed her eyeglasses and dumped her face to the head of the dog.

* * *

Days turned to weeks, then to months. The winter arrived in the whole country and scattered soft snow but there was no sign of the girl. Their waiting altered to hope that she would return someday. Their lives gone back to ordinary state, sitting firmly on his favorite swivel chair examining the term papers, and his comrades sprouting like mushrooms and drinking next to each other. Another alchemist with a huge body would pop after the door and would make him laugh but it couldn't help a bit then they would talk of past and everything would be all right for the day to fuel up to work.

"Hey, look who's here!" Hawkeye said while carrying a baby with her arms.

"Who is that?" Mustang confronted.

"I found her at the bomb site. I couldn't take my eyes off her so I brought her here."

"Forget about that kid, bring her somewhere else, you don't know the responsibilities enveloped with that infant."

"But she's very cute. You're really terrible with kids." Riza left after few seconds staying in the office.

"She really doesn't know what she's doing," Mustang sighed.

"Maybe she's trying to initiate in something with the help of that kid," Armstrong making hunch.

"What do you mean, making that child a reflection of Azureth? If she's dead all we have to do is to face it. It would be unfair for the child to lie with expectations," Roy didn't make any pause and all of his veins on neck showed up.

The muscle buff alchemist sighed helplessly, "That's not what I mean. I really pity your lieutenant for having an insensitive general," he whispered his last statement.

"Are you buzzing something there?"

"Of course not, I'll be going."

"What's with them?" Mustang was the only one in the room and confused at the same time.

* * *

"Ow, I'm late," Winry got up and went to her clock, it was past nine in the morning then. She wore her clothes and went downstairs, she saw all of them resting on their chairs.

"Why didn't you wake me up, I should have been eating with you," she snarled at them.

"You must be tired fixing our automails so we let you to sleep more," Ed answered.

"Winry I know you're keeping some of the metal pieces for Den, I examined his foot and found out that there are some tiny loose parts."

"Uhm, okay, I'll get it now." Winry pushed her seat away from her and hurried up to her room.

She was inside her bed and opened the drawers, "Hmm, I remember I put that here…" She was searching the pieces when she bumped to the table and a small glass bottle dropped on the floor.

"Huh?" she picked it up and recognized that it was the bottle of the medicine that had been given to her when her hands were not functioning well.

"Where are you now Azureth?"

* * *

_"If you really hate your father then why you're with that hair? Hoenheim has long hair and you too. Are you imitating his looks?"_

_ "Shut up!" Ed tried to cut her neck but she escaped easily and gone without leaving a noise._

"Whah?" Ed woke up from his dream.

"Brother?" Al was playing with the cats when he heard Ed shouted.

"It was… nothing."

Ed and Al were finished on their mission and they chose to stay at that town for a while to relax.

"We stopped the quarrel here, we came just in time."

"As if we have a choice, just witnessing the ugly face of Mustang ordering us to come here immediately, I would rather hear his voice than seeing him."

Al laughed.

"…"

"…"

Ed once again laid his back on the grass. "I want to go back to our past lives, when we were complete, even without our father. Not like this, we're being left by the people we love and not having our own body."

"This is the payment of our doings but still, we're living and we can correct our mistakes. On how to make it, I don't know, time has its capacity to tell when to do that and to encounter that."

"I won't die easily."

"Yeah, but we should rephrase what you said, it's kinda dreadful. Let's live longer, huh brother?"

"SURE!"

* * *

"I guess it's easy to forgive even it comes from our heart, the hard thing is to forget."

"It's not really forgetting their mistakes that they did to us, but the thing that they taught us after the wrong they made."

"If that's the truth, how many years do you think they can forget me?"

"Why asking me? I don't have any idea what you did to them."

"I don't know too."

"Then let's go. We'll have so many things to make up. You should not trouble yourself with questions that should be left behind."

"Nah, you just can't accept that you don't know the answer too."

They both walked together and ascended from a different dimension that people had gone beyond into too.

* * *

Yes! I finished uploading it! Hooray! ^_^... a cycle has no ending huh? what's that suppose to mean? fufufu


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